THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


the  last  H~t 


...OS 


HP' 


THE    PAGE 


OF 


THE  DUKE  OF  SAVOY. 


BY 


ALEXANDRE  DUMAS. 


VOL.  I. 


BOSTON: 
LITTLE,   BROWN,   AND    COMPANY. 

1896. 


94  14 


Copyright,  1891,  1893, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


UNIVERSITY  PRESS: 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.A. 


U-l 


HISTORICAL  ROMANCES. 


THE  PAGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  SAVOY. 


VOL.  I. 


Romances  of  $Uexantii;e  ©umas* 

ROMANCES   OF   THE   REIGN   OF   HENRY   II. 

I.    THE  Two  DIANAS 3  vols. 

II.    THE  PAGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  SAVOY a  vols. 

THE   VALOIS    ROMANCES. 

i.    MARGUERITE  DE  VALOJS 2  vols. 

II.    LA  DAME  DE  MONSOREAU 2  vols. 

III.    THE  FORTY-FIVE 2  vols. 

THE    D'ARTAGNAN    ROMANCES. 

I.    THE  THREE  MUSKETEERS 2  vols. 

II.    TWENTY  YEARS  AFTER 2  vols. 

III.    THE  VICOMTE  DE  BRAGELONNE  ;  or,  Ten  Years 

Later    . 6  vols. 

THE   REGENCY   ROMANCES. 

I.    LE  CHEVALIER  D'HARMENTAL i  vol. 

II.    THE  REGENT'S  DAUGHTER i  voL 

A   ROMANCE   OF   THE   REIGN   OF   LOUIS   XV. 
OLYMPE  DE  CLEVES 2  vols. 

THE   MARIE    ANTOINETTE    ROMANCES. 

I.  MEMOIRS  OF  A  PHYSICIAN 3  vols. 

II.  THE  QUEEN'S  NECKLACE 2  vols. 

III.  ANGE  PITOU 2  vols. 

IV.  LA  COMTESSE  L>E  CHARNY 4  vols. 

V.  LE  CHEVALIER  DE  MAISON-ROUGE i  vol. 

THE   NAPOLEON   ROMANCES. 

THE  COMPANIONS  OF  JEHU 2  vols. 

THE  WHITES  AND  THE  BLUES 2  vols. 

THE  BLACK  TULIP i  voL 

THE  COUNT  OF  MONTE  CRISTO 4  vols. 

THE  SHE-WOLVES  OF  MACHECOUL\  . 

THE  CORSICAN  BROTHERS /    • 

NEW  SERIES. 

ASCANIO :    A    Romance  of   Francis  1.  and    Benvenutq 

Cellini 2  vols. 

THE  WAR  OF  WOMEN  :  A  Romance  of  the  Fronde  .  .  2  vols. 

BLACK:  The  Story  of  a  Dog i  vol. 

TALES  OF  THE  CAUCASUS  — THE  BALL  OF  SNOW, 

AND  SULTANETTA I  vol. 


THE    DUKK'S    1'AGE. 
Drawn  by  Prank  T.  Merrill. 

THE  PAGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  SAVOY,  I. 


PQ, 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 


IN  "  The  Page  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy  "  we  meet  again 
most  of  the  members  of  the  doughty  band  of  adven- 
turers with  whom  Gabriel  de  Montgomery  is  said 
in  the  "  Two  Dianas "  to  have  accomplished  the 
marvellous  feat  of  carrying  the  Old  Fort  of  Calais 
by  escalade:  Malemort,  the  seamed  and  scarred 
hero  of  a  hundred  fights,  whose  first  rush  was 
always  so  impetuous  and  reckless  that  he  inevit- 
ably received  a  fresh  wound  at  the  very  beginning, 
and  was  incapacitated  for  further  service ;  Yvonnet 
the  dandy,  bold  as  a  lion  by  daylight,  and  timid  as 
a  hare  when  the  sun  had  gone  down  ;  Pilletrousse, 
the  rifler  of  dead  men's  pockets ;  Lactance,  whose 
excessive  blood-thirstiness  was  only  equalled  by 
his  devoutness  ;  and  the  two  Scharfensteins,  uncle 
and  nephew,  whose  feats  of  strength  out-Hercules 
Hercules.  Procope,  Maldent,  and  Fracasso  are  new 
acquaintances,  equally  diverting,  each  in  his  par- 
ticular line. 


VI  INTRODUCTORY   NOTE. 

The  period  of  this  tale  was  crowded  with  events 
of  deepest  import  to  the  world's  history :  it  em- 
braced the  culmination  of  the  world-empire  of 
Charles  V.  and  his  abdication ;  the  early  years  of 
the  reign  of  Philip  II.,  in  which  his  future  policy 
and  conduct  were  so  clearly  foreshadowed ;  the 
struggle  for  supremacy  between  the  Guises  and 
Catherine  de  Me'dicis,  the  Florentine  mother  of  the 
last  three  Valois  Kings  of  France  ;  and  the  irre- 
sistible growth  and  spread  of  the  Reformation. 

Of  all  the  famous  men  who  fought  and  governed 
in  that  age,  perhaps  the  very  noblest  was  Emman- 
uel Philibert,  Duke  of  Savoy,  whom  Dumas  selected 
as  the  central  figure  of  his  story.  All  that  is  here 
told  us  of  him  and  his  character  is  amply  supported 
by  authority. 

Many  of  the  historical  events  woven  into  the 
plot  of  the  "Two  Dianas"  are  here  presented  to  us 
again,  mainly  in  forms  which  follow  the  chronicles 
more  closely.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  life  of 
the  Conite  de  Montgomery,  and  the  circumstances 
attending  the  fatal  disaster  at  the  Tournelles. 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  death  of 
Henri  II.  was  the  result  of  anything  but  pure  acci- 
dent, nor  has  history  any  more  to  say  of  the  Conite 
de  Montgomery  than  is  said  by  our  author  in  the 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE.  vii 

following  pages.  It  will  be  noticed,  however,  that 
the  gloomy  prognostications  of  Nostradamus  re- 
appear here  in  slightly  different  form. 

As  to  the  siege  of  Saint  Quentin,  too,  the  de- 
scription given  in  the  present  work  is  entitled  to 
the  credit  of  being  more  nearly  in  accord  with  the 
facts  than  that  which  omits  to  mention  Dandelot's 
presence,  and  makes  Gaspard  de  Coligny  play  a 
subordinate  part  to  Gabriel  de  Montgomery.  It 
was  the  failure  of  Philip  II.  to  follow  up  the  fall  of 
the  town  (inexplicable  unless  it  was  due  to  his 
jealousy  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy)  which  saved  Paris, 
and  not  the  defence  made  by  the  garrison  and  citi- 
zens, heroic  and  devoted  as  their  conduct  was. 

It  would  be  perhaps  more  accurate  to  entitle 
"The  Page  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy"  a  part  of  the 
romance  of  history  than  an  historical  romance ;  for 
aside  from  the  scenes  in  which  the  exploits  of  Pro- 
cope  and  his  associates  appear,  and  the  deeply 
touching  love  episode  of  Emmanuel  Philibert  and 
his  pseudo-page,  there  are  few  chapters  of  which  the 
historical  accuracy  can  be  impugned, —  from  the 
famous  scene  at  Brussels  when  Charles  V.  laid 
down  his  sceptre,  to  his  mock  obsequies  at  the 
little  convent  in  Spain ;  from  Henri  II.  haughtily 
receiving  the  heralds  of  Spain  and  England,  to 


Vlll  INTRODUCTORY   NOTE. 

Henri  II.  meekly  consenting  to  the  shameful  treaty 
of  Cateau-Cambresis ;  from  the  brilliant  pageant 
and  superb  jousting  in  the  lists  at  the  Tournelles, 
to  the  chamber  of  death,  with  Catherine  de  Mddicis 
hovering  jealously  about  the  bed  of  the  dying  king, 
who  had  been  so  long  and  consistently  unfaithful 
to  her. 

The  epoch  is  one  which  readily  lends  itself  to 
the  romantic  treatment,  and  under  the  hand  of  the 
master  few  opportunities  of  arousing  the  interest 
and  moving  the  heart  of  the  reader  have  been  lost 


LIST   OF   CHARACTERS. 

Period,  1528-1580. 


THE  EMPEROR,  Charles  V. 

MARY  OP  AUSTRIA,  the  Queen  Dowager  of  Hungary,  sister  of 

Charles  V. 

MARY,  Queen  of  England. 

PHILIP,  Prince  of  Spain,  her  husband,  son  of  Charles  V. 
QUEEN  ELEANOR,  sister  of  Charles  V. 
DON  CARLOS,  the  Emperor's  grandson. 
EMMANUEL  PHILIBERT,  Due  de  Savoie,  surnamed  Tete  de  Fer, 

nephew  of  Charles  V. 
SCIANCA-FERRO,  his  squire. 
GAETANO,  his  major-domo. 

CHARLES  THE  GOOD,  of  Portugal,  father  of  Emmanuel  Philibert 
BEATRICE  OP  PORTUGAL,  Emmanuel  Philibert's  mother. 
LEONA  MARAVIGLIA,  passing  as  Leone,  the  page  of  the  Duke 

of  Savoy. 

COMTE  FRANCESCO  MARAVIGLIA,  her  father. 
LA  COMTESSE  MARAVIGLIA. 
COMTE  ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA,  Leona's  brother,  Ambassador  of 

the  Kings  of  France  and  Spain. 
JOHN  FREDERICK,  Elector  of  Saxony. 
ADMIRAL  OF  CASTILE, 
DUKE  OF  MEDINA  COELI, 


R.UY  GOMEZ  DE  SILVA, 

DUKE  OP  ALVA, 

DON  Luis  DE  VARGAS, 


Spanish  noblemen. 


X  LIST   OF   CHARACTERS. 

FRANCESCO  MARIA  SFORZA,  Duke  of  Milan. 

ARCHBISHOP  OF  TOLEDO. 

CARDINAL  POLE. 

WILLIAM  OF  ORANGE. 

DON  GUZMAN  D'AVILA,  Herald  of  Spain. 

SIGNOR  ANGELO  POLICASTRO,  Astrologer  to  Charles  V. 

COMTE  WALDECK,  in  the  cavalry  service  of  Charles  V. 

VICOMTE  WALDECK,  his  sou. 

THE  BASTARD  SON  OF  COMTE  WALDECK. 

ODINET  DE  MONTFORT,  a  Savoyard  cavalier. 

COUNCILLOR  PHILIBERT  BRUSSELIUS. 

FRAN9OIS  I.,  King  of  France. 

HENRI  II.,  his  successor. 

CATHERINE  DE  MEDICIS, 

DIANE  DE  POITIERS. 

DIANE  DE  CASTRO. 

MARGUERITE  DE  FRANCE,  sister  of  Henri  II. 

THE  DAUPHIN,  afterwards  Fran9ois  II. 

MARY  STUART,  married  to  the  Dauphin. 

MARY  FLEMING, 

MARY  SEATON,          I  M       Stuart's  "  Four  Marys." 

MARY  LIVINGSTON, 

MARY  BEATON, 

ELIZABETH  DE  VALOIS,      j   d      hters  of  Heuri  IL 

MARGUERITE  DE  VALOIS,  ) 

Due  D'ORLEAXS,  afterwards  Charles  IX. 

Due  DE  NEVERS,  Lieutenant-general  of  the  king. 

HENRI,  his  brother,  afterwards  Henri  III. 

CONSTABLE  DE  MONTMORENCY. 

GABRIEL  DE  MONTMORENCY,  his  son. 

MONSIEUR  DE  CHATILLON,  the  Constable's  nephew. 

FRAN90IS,  Due  de  Guise. 

CARDINAL  DE  LORRAINE, 

Due  D'AUMALE,  |^  his  brothers. 

MARQUIS  D'ELB(EUF, 

CARDINAL  GUISE. 


LIST   OF   CHARACTERS. 


XI 


surgeons. 


preceptors  of  the  princes. 


ADMIRAL  COLIGNY,  Envoy  extraordinary  of  Henri  II. 

MONSIEUR  DANDELOT  DE  COLIGNY,  his  brother. 

MONSIEUR  DE  BOISSY,  Grand  Equerry  of  France. 

MONSIEUR  DE  VIEILLEVILLE,  Grand  Chamberlain. 

ALPHOXSE  D'ESTE,  Due  de  Ferrara. 

DUCHKSSE  DE  NEMOURS. 

CARDINAL  CARAFFA. 

GABRIEL  DE  LORGES. 

AMBROISE  PARE, 

ANDREW  VESALIUS, 

RONSARD, 

REMY  BELLEAU, 

DORAT, 

Da  BELLAY, 

JACQUES  AMYOT, 

JACQUES  DE  LA  MOTTE,  Abbe  de  St.  Prix. 

Due  D'EXGHIEN, 

MARECHAL  DE  SAINT-ANDRE, 

Due  DE  NEVERS, 

MARECHAL  STROZZI, 

MARECHAL  DE  BRISSAC, 

MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNT, 

MONSIEUR  DE  BREUIL, 

MONSIEUR  DE  JARNAC, 

CAPTAIN  LANGUETOT, 

CAPTAIN  RAMBOUILLET, 

CAPTAIN  Louis  POY, 

MONSIEUR  DANDELOT,  the  admiral's  brother, 

VICOMTE  DU  MONT  NOTRE-DAME, 

SlEUR   DE    LA   CUREE, 

COMTE    DE   LA   ROCHEFOUCAULD, 

Due   DE   MONTPENSIER, 

DUC   DE   LONGUEVILLE, 

Due  DE  BOUILLON, 
VICOMTE  DE  TURENNE, 


French  officers. 


Xll 


LIST   OF   CHARACTERS. 


soldiers  of  fortune  in  the 
French  service. 


HEINRICII  SCHAHFENSTEIN, 

MARTIN  PILLETROUSE, 

FRANTZ  SCIIARFENSTEIN, 

CJESAR  ANNIBAL  MALEMORT, 

HONORS-JOSEPH  MALDENT, 

JEAN-CHRYSOSTOME  PROCOPE, 

VICTOR-FELIX  YVONNET, 

CYRILLE-NEPOMUCENE  LACTANCE, 

VITTORIO-ALBANI  FRACASSO, 

COUNT  EGMONT, 

COUNT  HORN, 

COUNT  SCHWARZBOURG, 

COUNT  MANSFIELD, 

DUKE  ERIC  OF  BRUNSWICK, 

DUKE  ERNEST  OF  BRUNSWICK, 

FIELD-MARSHAL  DE  BINNSCOURT, 

CAPTAIN  CARONDELET, 

COLONEL  NARVAEZ, 

JULIAN  ROMERON, 

ALONZO  DE  CAZIERES, 

MADEMOISELLE  GERTRUDE,  |  seryants  at  the  Chateau  du  parcq 

PHILIPPIN,  ) 

JEAN  PAUQUET,  captain  of  a  company  at  St.  Quentin. 

GUILLAUME  PAUQUET,  his  brother. 

GUDULE,  Guillaume  Pauquet's  daughter. 

MAITRE  GOSSEU,  a  Picard  peasant. 

CATHERINE,  his  wife. 


officers  in  the  army  besieg- 
ing St.  Quentin. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

CHAPTIB  P*«« 
I.    WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  SEEN  FROM  THE  GREAT 
TOWER  OP  HESDIN-FERT  ON  MAY  5,  1555,  AT 

ABOUT  TWO  O'CLOCK  IN  THE  AFTERNOON    .    .  1 

II.    THE  ADVENTURERS 10 

III.  IN  WHICH  THE  READER  MAKES  FURTHER  ACQUAINT- 

ANCE WITH  THE  HEROES  TO  WHOM  WE  HAVE 

INTRODUCED  HIM 23 

IV.  THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP 34 

V.    COUNT  WALDECK 47 

VI.    THE  JUSTICIARY 57 

VII.    HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE 71 

VIII.    THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  PAGE 88 

IX.    LEONE-LEONA 98 

X.    THE  THREE  MESSAGES 114 

XI.    ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA 131 

XII.    WHAT  TOOK  PLACE  IN  THE  FORTRESS  OF  MILAN 

ON  THE  NIGHT  OP  Nov.  14,  1534     ....  142 

XIII.  THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH 158 

XIV.  CHARLES  V.  KEEPS  THE  PROMISE  GIVEN  TO  HIS 

SON  DON  PHILIP    .    .  ' 172 

XV.    AFTER  THE  ABDICATION  .                                   .  202 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

PART   II. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE  COURT  OP  FRANCE 216 

II.    THE  ROYAL  HUNT 233 

III.  CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL 251 

IV.  WAR 267 

V.    IN  CAMP  AT  LA  FERE 286 

VI.    ST.  QUENTIN 297 

VII.    THE  ADMIRAL  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE 312 

VIII.    THE  ADVENTURERS'  TENT 324 

IX.    BATTLE 333 

X.    MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNT 345 

XI.    A  MESSAGE  TO  THE  CONSTABLE 355 

XII.  THE  ASSAULT    .  363 


THE 


PAGE  OF  THE  DUKE  OF  SAVOY. 


PART   I. 


CHAPTER   I. 

WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  SEEN  FROM  THE  GREAT  TOWER 
OF  HESDIN-FERT  ON  MAY  5,  1555,  AT  ABOUT  TWO 
O'CLOCK  IN  THE  AFTERNOON. 

THOSE  of  our  readers  who  do  not  fear  to  take  with  us  a 
stride  of  three  centuries  into  the  past,  we  will  transport 
at  once  into  the  presence  of  the  men  whose  acquaintance 
we  wish  them  to  make,  and  into  the  midst  of  the  events 
we  wish  them  to  witness. 

It  is  the  fifth  day  of  May  in  the  year  1555.     Henri  II.- 
reigns   over   France,    Mary   Tudor    over   England,   and 
Charles  V.  over  Spain,  Germany,  Italy,  the  Netherlands, 
and  the  two  Indies,  —  that  is  to  say,  over  a  sixth  part  of 
the  world. 

We  are  in  the  little  town  of  Hesdin-Fert,  which  Em- 
manuel Philibert,  Prince  of  Piedmont,  has  just  built  near 
the  site  of  Hesdin-le-Vieux,  which  he  captured  and  de- 
stroyed a  year  ago.  We  are  travelling,  therefore,  in  that 
part  of  ancient  France  which  was  called  Artois,  and  is 
known  to-day  as  the  department  of  Pas-de-Calais. 
VOL.  i.  —  1 


2  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

We  say  "  of  ancient  France."  for  Artois  was  for  a  short 
time  reunited  to  the  patrimony  of  our  kings  by  Philippe- 
Auguste,  the  conqueror  of  Saint-Jean-d'Acre  and  of  Bou- 
vines ;  but  having  been  joined  to  the  house  of  France 
in  1180,  it  was  given  by  Saint  Louis  to  his  younger 
brother  Robert  in  1237,  and  passed  successively,  at 
the  hands  of  three  women,  —  Mahaud,  Jeanne  I.,  and 
Jeanne  II.,  —  into  the  possession  of  three  different  fam- 
ilies. Then,  being  owned  by  Marguerite,  sister  of 
Jeanne  II.,  and  daughter  of  Jeanne  I.,  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Comte  Louis  de  Male,  whose  daughter  conveyed 
it  to  the  house  of  Burgundy.  Finally,  after  the  death  of 
Charles  the  Bold,  Marie  de  Bourgogne,  sole  inheritor  of 
her  father's  great  name  and  vast  wealth,  married  Maxi- 
milian, son  of  the  Emperor  Frederick  III.,  and  carried 
both  name  and  wealth  to  the  house  of  Austria,  where 
they  were  engulfed  like  a  river  which  is  merged  in  the 
ocean. 

This  was  a  great  loss  to  France,  for  Artois  was  a  fair 
and  fertile  province ;  and  therefore  for  three  years 
Henri  II.  and  Charles  V.  had  struggled,  with  varying 
fortune  but  with  unflinching  determination,  —  the  former 
to  recover,  the  latter  to  retain  it. 

During  this  desperate  war — in  which  the  son  met  again 
the  old  enemy  of  his  father,  and  like  his  father  must  have 
4iis  Marignano  and  his  Pavia  —  each  had  encountered  his 
good  and  evil  fortunes,  his  victories  and  his  defeats. 
Charles  V.  had  been  forced  to  abandon  the  siege  of  Metz 
in  disorder,  and  had  lost  Marienbourg,  Bouvines,  and 
Djnant ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  had  carried  Therou- 
anne  and  Hesdin  by  assault,  and  furious  at  his  defeat 
at  Metz,  had  burned  one  and  razed  the  other  to  the 
ground 

We  have  compared  Metz  to  Marignano,  and  we  do  not 


THE  GREAT  TOWER  OF  HESDIN-FERT.  3 

exaggerate  in  making  this  comparison.  An  army  of  fifty 
thousand  infantry  and  fourteen  thousand  horse,  deci- 
mated by  cold,  by  disease,  and  also,  it  may  be  said,  by 
the  bravery  of  the  Due  Frangois  de  Guise  and  the  French 
garrison,  vanished  like  mist,  disappeared  like  smoke, 
leaving,  as  the  only  trace  of  its  existence,  ten  thousand 
dead,  two  thousand  tents,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty 
cannon  ! 

The  rout  had  been  so  complete  that  the  fugitives  had 
not  even  sought  to  defend  themselves ;  and  when  Charles 
de  Bourbon  was  pursuing  a  body  of  Spanish  cavalry,  their 
captain  turned  his  horse,  and  riding  up  to  the  French 
officer,  "  Whether  you  be  a  prince  or  a  simple  gentle- 
man," said  he,  "  if  you  fight  for  glory,  seek  some  other 
occasion;  for  now  you  are  slaughtering  men  who  are 
not  only  too  feeble  to  resist,  but  without  strength  to 
escape." 

Charles  de  Bourbon  sheathed  his  sword  and  sounded 
a  recall,  and  the  Spaniards  continued  their  flight  without 
further  molestation. 

Charles  V.  was  far  from  imitating  his  rival's  generosity, 
and  after  the  capture  of  Therouanue  gave  up  the  town 
to  pillage,  and  then  razed  it  to  the  ground,  respecting 
neither  churches,  monasteries,  nor  hospitals ;  and  finally, 
that  he  might  not  leave  one  stone  upon  another,  he  called 
in  the  peasants  of  Flanders  and  Artois  to  scatter  the 
fragments. 

The  summons  to  the  work  of  destruction  had  been 
obeyed.  The  inhabitants  of  Artois  and  Flanders,  who 
had  sustained  losses  at  the  hands  of  the  garrison  at  The'- 
rouanne,  came  flocking  in,  armed  with  pickaxes  and  ham- 
mers, and  the  city  had  disappeared  like  Saguntum  under 
the  foot  of  Hannibal,  like  Carthage  blasted  by  the  breath 
of  Scipio. 


4  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Hesdin  had  met  the  same  fate  as  The'rouanne.  But 
at  this  time  Emmanuel  Philibert  had  been  appointed  to 
the  command  of  the  imperial  troops  in  the  Netherlands, 
and  not  being  able  to  save  Therouanne,  had  determined 
at  all  events  to  rebuild  Hesdin.  A  few  months  of  in- 
cessant labor  had  accomplished  this,  and  a  new  city  had 
risen,  as  if  by  enchantment,  about  a  quarter  of  a  league 
from  the  old  one.  This  new  city,  situated  in  the  midst 
of  the  marshes  of  Mesnil  upon  the  banks  of  the  Canche, 
was  so  well  fortified  that  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
later  it  excited  the  admiration  of  Vauban,  although  dur- 
ing this  period  of  time  the  system  of  fortifications  had 
entirely  changed. 

The  founder  had  called  this  new  town  Hesdin-Fert,  in 
memory  of  its  origin ;  that  is  to  say,  he  had  added  to  its 
name  these  four  letters,  "  F.  E.  R.  T.,"  given  with  the 
white  cross  by  the  Emperor  of  Germany  to  Amadeus  the 
Great,  thirteenth  count  of  Savoy,  after  his  successful  de- 
fence of  Rhodes,  and  which  signified,  "  Fortitude  ejus 
Rhodum  tenuit,"  —  that  is  to  say,  "His  courage  saved 
Rhodes." 

This,  moreover,  was  not  the  only  marvel  eifected  by 
the  young  general  to  whom  Charles  V.  had  given  the 
command  of  his  army.  Thanks  to  the  rigid  discipline 
which  he  had  established,  the  unhappy  province  was 
beginning  to  breathe  freely,  after  being  devastated  by 
four  years  of  incessant  war.  The  strictest  orders  for  the 
suppression  of  all  pillage  and  marauding  had  been  issued 
and  enforced  ;  every  officer  offending  was  placed  under 
arrest,  every  soldier  taken  in  the  act  was  hanged. 

The  consequence  was,  that,  as  hostilities  had  almost 
ceased  during  the  winter  of  1554  and  1555,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Artois  had  regarded  the  last  four  or  five  months, 
iii  comparison  with  the  three  years  which  had  intervened 


THE  GREAT  TOWER  OF  HESDIN-FERT.  5 

between  the  siege  of  Metz  and  the  rebuilding  of  Hesdin, 
as  something  like  a  revival  of  the  golden  age. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  now  and  then  some  farm  or 
chateau  was  burned  or  sacked,  either  by  the  French,  who 
held  Abbeville,  Doulens,  and  Montreuil-sur-Mer,  and 
who  occasionally  made  incursions  into  the  enemy's  coun- 
try, or  else  by  those  incorrigible  freebooters,  the  German 
mercenaries,  who  followed  in  the  train  of  the  imperial 
army ;  but  Emmanuel  Philibert  made  so  good  head 
against  the  French,  and  inflicted  so  speedy  punishment 
upon  the  freebooters,  that  such  catastrophes  were  becom- 
ing rarer  every  day. 

This,  then,  was  the  condition  of  things  in  the  province 
of  Artois,  and  particularly  in  the  neighborhood  of  Hesdin- 
Fert,  at  the  time  of  the  opening  of  our  story  on  the  5th 
of  May,  1555. 

And  now,  after  giving  our  readers  some  idea  of  the 
moral  and  political  state  of  the  country,  we  must  describe 
its  material  aspect,  which  was  very  different  then  from 
what  industry  and  cultivation  have  since  made  it. 

Let  us  suppose,  then,  in  order  to  perform  this  difficult 
task  which  we  have  undertaken,  the  object  of  which  is  to 
recall  an  almost  forgotten  period,  what  on  that  5th  of 
May,  1555,  toward  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  a  man 
would  have  seen  who  from  the  highest  tower  of  Hesdin, 
with  his  back  to  the  sea,  had  looked  along  the  horizon 
extending  in  a  semi-circle  before  him,  from  the  northern 
extremity  of  that  little  chain  of  hills  behind  which 
Bethune  is  hidden,  to  the  last  southern  hillocks  of  the 
same  chain,  at  the  foot  of  which  lies  Doulens. 

At  first  he  would  have  seen,  immediately  before  him, 
narrowing  to  a  point  toward  the  banks  of  the  Canche,  the 
dense  and  dark  forest  of  Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise,  whose 
vast  expanse  of  green,  like  a  mantle  thrown  over  the 


6  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

shoulder  of  the  hill,  reached  to  the  foot  of  the  opposite 
slope  and  dipped  its  borders  in  the  sources  of  the  Scarpe, 
which  is  to  the  Escaut  what  the  Saoue  is  to  the  Rhone, 
what  the  Moselle  is  to  the  Rhine. 

Upon  the  right  of  this  forest,  and  consequently  to  the 
left  of  the  observer  whom  we  suppose  to  be  standing 
upon  the  highest  tower  of  Hesdin-Fert,  in  the  valley  under 
the  shelter  of  these  hills  which  form  the  horizon,  are  the 
villages  of  Enchin  and  Fruges,  half  hidden  in  the  bluish 
smoke  issuing  from  their  own  chimneys,  and  which  en- 
velops them  like  a  thin  mist  or  a  transparent  veil,  —  an 
indication  that  the  chilly  inhabitants  of  these  northern 
provinces,  although  the  spring  days  had  made  their  ap- 
pearance, had  not  yet  bidden  a  final  adieu  to  the  fire, 
that  cheery  and  faithful  friend  of  the  winter  season. 

In  advance  of  these  two  villages  stands  a  rustic  dwell- 
ing, half  chateau,  half  farm,  which  bears  the  name  of 
"  Le  Parcq,"  and  which  seems  like  a  sentinel  placed  in 
advance  of  his  troop,  but  who  does  not  altogether  fancy 
the  idea  of  being  beyond  the  protection  of  his  fellow- 
soldiers. 

The  high-road,  like  a  long  golden  ribbon,  passes  in 
front  of  Le  Parcq,  and  winds  among  the  bright  green  trees 
that  border  the  sombre  forest,  until  at  length  it  branches 
out  in  two  directions,  —  one  leading  straight  into  Hes- 
din,  and  the  other  following  the  margin  of  the  wood, 
finding  its  way,  not  in  a  very  straight  line,  it  must  be 
confessed,  to  the  villages  of  Frevent,  Auxy-le-Chateau, 
and  Nouvion-en-Ponthieu. 

The  plain  which  extends  from  these  three  places  to 
Hesdin  lies  exactly  opposite  to  that  which  we  have  been 
describing ;  that  is  to  say,  it  forms  the  left  of  the  valley 
of  Saint-Pol,  and  consequently  lies  on  the  right  of  a  per- 
son standing  on  the  high  tower  of  Hesdin-Fert. 


THE  GREAT  TOWER   OF  HESDIX-FEBT.  7 

This  plain  forms  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  view, 
—  not  that  it  has  any  very  remarkable  natural  character- 
istics, but  only  because  at  this  moment  it  is  animated  by 
the  result  of  fortuitous  circumstances. 

While  the  opposite  plain  is  carpeted  with  waving  grass, 
this  one  is  covered  by  the  camp  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V., 
which,  surrounded  by  trenches  and  enclosed  by  palisades, 
constitutes  a  city  of  tents. 

In  the  centre  of  this  city  of  tents,  like  Notre-Dame  de 
Paris  in  the  Cite,  like  the  Chateau  des  Papes  in  Avignon, 
like  some  stately  three-decker  in  the  foaming  waves  of  the 
ocean,  towers  the  imperial  pavilion,  from  whose  corners 
hang  four  standards,  any  one  of  which  might  have  satisfied 
the  highest  human  ambition,  —  the  standard  of  the  Em- 
pire, the  standard  of  Spain,  the  standard  of  Home,  and  the 
standard  of  Lombardy  ;  for  this  hero,  conquering,  valiant, 
victorious  as  he  is  called,  has  been  crowned  four  times. 

He  has  been  crowned  at  Toledo  with  the  diamond 
crown  as  King  of  Spain  and  the  Indies ;  at  Aix-la- 
Chapelle  with  the  silver  crown  as  Emperor  of  Germany ; 
at  Bologna  with  the  golden  crown  as  King  of  the  Romans, 
and  with  the  iron  crown  as  King  of  the  Lombards.  And 
when  opposition  was  made  to  his  wish  to  be  crowned  at 
Bologna  instead  of  going  as  was  customary  to  Rome 
and  Milan  ;  when  he  was  reminded  of  the  brief  of  Pope 
Stephen  which  prohibited  the  golden  crown  from  leaving 
the  Vatican,  and  of  the  decree  of  the  Emperor  Charle- 
magne, who  declared  that  the  iron  crown  should  not  be 
taken  out  of  Monza, — the  conqueror  of  Franqois  I.,  of 
Soliman,  and  of  Luther  haughtily  replied  that  he  had 
been  accustomed  not  to  run  after  crowns,  but  to  expect 
crowns  to  come  to  him.  Above  these  four  standards 
waves  his  own  flag,  displaying  the  Pillars  of  Hercules, 
not  as  the  confines  of  the  Old  World,  but  as  the  gates  of 


8  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  New,  and  bearing  this  ambitious  device,  greater  for 
its  mutilation,  Plus  ultra. 

Some  fifty  paces  from  the  emperor's  pavilion  rises  the 
tent  of  his  commander-in-chief,  Emmanuel  Philibert, 
which  is  distinguished  from  those  of  the  ordinary  soldiery 
only  by  the  two  standards  which  adorn  it,  one  of  which 
displays  the  silver  cross  of  Savoy  on  its  red  ground,  with 
the  four  letters,  "  F.  E.  R.  T.,"  whose  meaning  we  have 
already  explained ;  and  the  other,  Emmanuel's  personal 
arms,  —  a  hand  raising  a  trophy  of  lances,  swords, 
and  pistols,  with  the  motto,  Spoliatis  arma  supersunt 
("  The  despoiled  have  still  their  arms  "). 

The  camp  overlooked  by  these  two  tents  is  divided  into 
four  parts,  through  which  winds  the  river,  crossed  by 
three  bridges.  The  first  division  is  assigned  to  the  Ger- 
mans, the  second  to  the  Spanish,  the  third  to  the  Eng- 
lish; the  fourth  contains  the  park  of  artillery  entirely 
renewed  since  the  defeat  at  Metz,  and  which,  since  the 
addition  of  French  pieces  taken  at  Therouanne  and 
Hesdin,  consists  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  cannon  and 
fifteen  bombards.  Upon  the  breech  of  each  of  the  pieces 
taken  from  the  French,  the  emperor  has  caused  to  be 
engraved  his  two  favorite  words,  Plus  ultra. 

Behind  the  cannon  and  the  bombards  are  ranged  in 
three  lines  the  wagons  and  carts  containing  the  ammuni- 
tion ;  sentinels,  sword  in  hand,  with  neither  arquebuse 
nor  pistol,  take  care  that  no  one  approaches  these  vol- 
canoes, which  a  single  spark  would  be  sufficient  to  set 
on  fire.  Other  sentinels  are  stationed  just  outside  the 
enclosure. 

In  the  streets  of  this  camp,  arranged  like  those  of  a 
city,  move  thousands  of  men  with  military  activity, 
tempered  however  by  German  gravity,  Spanish  pride, 
and  English  phlegm. 


THE  GREAT  TOWER  OF  HESDIN-FERT.  9 

The  sun  shines  upon  all  these  arms,  which  give  back 
its  rays  in  flashes ;  the  wind  plays  with  all  these  stand- 
ards, all  these  banners,  all  these  pennons,  whose  silken 
folds  and  brilliant  colors  it  rolls  and  unrolls  according  to 
its  caprice. 

This  activity  and  noise,  which  float  always  upon  the 
surface  of  multitudes  and  of  oceans,  are  in  remarkable 
contrast  with  the  silence  and  solitude  on  the  other  side 
of  the  plain,  where  the  sun  shines  only  upon  the  shifting 
mosaic  of  fields  of  waving  grain,  which  are  at  different 
stages  of  maturity,  and  where  the  wind  stirs  only  those 
flowers  of  the  field  which  young  girls  delight  to  weave 
into  garlands  of  purple  and  azure,  with  which  to  adorn 
themselves  on  Sunday. 

And  now  that  in  the  first  chapter  of  our  book  we  have 
seen  what  might  have  been  presented  to  the  view  of  a 
man  from  the  highest  tower  of  Hesdin-Fert  on  the  5th 
of  May,  1555,  let  us  devote  the  second  chapter  to  show- 
ing what  would  have  escaped  his  sight,  however  pene- 
trating it  might  be. 


10  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   ADVENTURERS. 

THAT  which  would  have  escaped  the  notice  of  this  man, 
however  searching  his  gaze,  is  what  was  taking  place  in 
the  thickest  and  consequently  most  gloomy  spot  in  the 
forest  of  Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise,  in  the  remotest  corner  of 
a  cavern  which  the  trees  covered  with  their  shade  and 
which  the  ivy  enveloped  with  its  network ;  while  for  the 
greater  security  of  those  who  occupied  this  cavern  a  sen- 
tinel hidden  in  the  brushwood,  lying  flat  on  the  ground, 
as  motionless  as  one  of  the  trunks  of  the  trees  by  which 
he  was  surrounded,  kept  careful  watch  to  prevent  any 
disturbance  of  this  important  assembly,  at  which,  in  our 
capacity  of  romancer,  —  that  is  to  say,  of  magician,  to 
whom  all  doors  are  open,  —  we  invite  our  readers  to  be 
present. 

Let  us  take  advantage  of  the  instant  when,  preoccupied 
by  the  noise  made  by  a  frightened  hare  in  bounding 
through  the  brakes,  this  sentinel,  who  has  not  seen  us 
but  whom  we  have  discovered,  turns  his  eyes  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  noise  comes,  to  slip  unseen  into 
the  cavern,  and  concealing  ourselves  behind  a  projecting 
ledge  of  rock,  let  us  observe,  to  the  smallest  details,  what- 
ever may  happen  there. 

The  cave  is  occupied  by  eight  men,  who  differ  from 
one  another  in  face,  dress,  and  character,  but  who  ap- 
pear, from  the  arms  they  carry,  to  have  adopted  the  same 
calling.  One  of  them  whose  face  expresses  cunning  and 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  11 

sharpness,  and  whose  fingers  are  covered  with  ink,  by 
reason  of  his  repeated  efforts  to  free  his  pen  from  the 
hairs  so  plentiful  in  the  ill-made  paper  of  the  period,  is 
writing  fast,  a  large  stone  making  an  admirable  table  ;  a 
second  is  standing  like  a  statue  by  the  side  of  the  first, 
and  holding  a  blazing  pine-torch  by  way  of  light,  whose 
red,  smoky  glare  not  only  lights  up  the  writer  and  his 
paper,  but  also  casts  fitful  bursts  of  brilliant  light  upon 
the  torch-bearer  and  his  six  companions. 

That  the  writing  is  some  agreement  which  is  of  interest 
to  the  whole  company  is  sufficiently  proved  by  their  eager 
countenances.  Three  of  the  men,  however,  appear  less 
engrossed  in  it  than  the  rest. 

The  first  is  an  elegant  young  man,  who  may  be  some 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  is  dressed  in  a  beautiful 
buffalo-hide  cuirass,  which  if  not  ball-proof  is  at  least 
dagger- proof ;  under  this  he  wears  a  tight-fitting  jerkin 
of  claret-colored  velvet,  somewhat  faded,  it  is  true,  but 
still  presentable,  the  sleeves  of  which  are  cut  d,  V Espagnole, 
—  that  is  to  say,  in  the  very  latest  fashion,  as  are  also  his 
green  velvet  breeches.  He  wears  cavalry  boots,  the  legs 
of  which  are  sufficiently  high  to  protect  the  thigh  when 
the  wearer  is  on  horseback,  and  flexible  enough  to  settle 
down  below  the  knees  when  he  is  walking. 

He  is  singing  a  rondeau  by  Clement  Marot,  as  he 
strokes  his  fine  black  mustaches  with  one  hand  and  with 
the  other  combs  his  hair,  which  he  wears  rather  longer  than 
is  the  fashion  at  this  period,  in  order,  doubtless,  to  retain 
the  beauty  of  the  soft,  glossy  waves  with  which  Nature 
has  endowed  it. 

The  next  is  a  man  of  about  thirty-six,  but  whose  face 
is  so  scarred  and  disfigured  that  it  is  impossible  to  dis- 
cover in  it  what  his  age  may  be.  His  arm  and  a  portion 
of  the  chest  are  naked,  and  upon  every  exposed  part  of 


12  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  body  there  are  a  series  of  scars  not  less  numerous 
than  those  which  mark  his  face.  He  is  engaged  in  bind- 
ing up  a  wound  in  the  arm,  which  fortunately  is  the  left 
one,  and  consequently  he  does  not  suffer  so  much  incon- 
venience as  if  the  right  arm  were  disabled.  He  holds 
between  his  teeth  the  end  of  a  linen  bandage,  with  which 
he  binds  on  the  wound  a  handful  of  lint  steeped  in  some 
marvellous  unguent,  of  which  a  gypsy  had  given  him  the 
receipt,  and  in  which  he  seems  to  have  entire  confidence. 
He  utters  no  complaint,  and  appears  as  insensible  to  the 
pain  as  if  the  limb  in  the  cure  of  which  he  is  engaged 
were  of  oak  or  pine. 

The  third  is  a  tall,  thin,  ascetic-looking  individual,  about 
forty  years  of  age,  who  is  kneeling  in  a  corner  telling 
beads  with  a  rapidity  which  would  have  done  credit  to 
the  most  active  monk  in  the  universe,  and  repeating,  with 
a  volubility  peculiarly  his  own,  a  dozen  Paters  and  a 
dozen  Aves.  From  time  to  time  his  right  hand  abandons 
the  chaplet,  and  resounds  upon  his  breast  like  a  cooper's 
hammer  upon  an  empty  cask  ;  but  as  he  repeats  two  or 
three  times  in  succession  in  a  loud  voice  the  Mea  Culpa, 
his  hand  returns  to  his  chaplet,  which  turns  around  as 
rapidly  as  a  rosary  in  the  hands  of  a  monk,  or  the  com- 
boloio  in  the  hands  of  a  dervis. 

The  three  personages  who  are  yet  to  be  described  have 
characteristics,  we  are  glad  to  say,  not  less  marked  than 
those  of  the  five  whom  we  have  had  the  honor  of  present- 
ing to  our  readers. 

One  of  them  is  leaning  his  elbows  on  the  stone  which 
serves  the  writer  for  a  table,  and  follows  the  movements 
of  the  pen  with  his  eyes,  as  a  spider  watches  every  motion 
of  the  fly  which  is  to  serve  for  his  dinner.  His  face  is  a 
strange  mixture  of  cunning  and  common-sense,  knavery 
and  good-fellowship.  He  may  be  about  forty  years  old, 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  13 

for  the  thick  eyebrows  which  shade  his  deep-set  eyes  are 
already  turning  gray. 

Another  is  lying  at  full  length  on  his  face.  He  has 
found  a  stone  suitable  for  sharpening  swords  and  poniards, 
and  is  profiting  by  this  circumstance  —  with  the  help  of 
an  abundant  supply  of  saliva  and  continued  friction  upon 
the  stone  —  to  make  a  new  point  for  his  dirk,  which  has 
become  very  blunt.  His  tongue,  which  he  presses  be- 
tween his  teeth  and  which  is  sticking  out  of  the  corner  of 
his  mouth,  indicates  the  attention  he  gives  and  the  great 
interest  he  takes  in  his  work,  —  with  which,  nevertheless, 
he  is  not  so  preoccupied  as  to  be  unable  to  attend  to  the 
discussion.  If  what  he  hears  meets  his  approbation,  he 
simply  gives  a  nod  of  approval ;  if  on  the  contrary  it 
wounds  his  moral  sense  or  nms  counter  to  his  own  ideas, 
he  starts  up,  approaches  the  writer,  places  the  point  of 
his  dirk  on  the  paper,  saying  these  four  words,  "  Pardon, 
what  do  you  say  ? "  and  takes  away  his  weapon  only  when 
an  explanation  is  given  to  his  satisfaction,  which  he  ex- 
presses by  a  more  abundant  salivation  and  more  vigorous 
friction  between  his  dirk  and  the  stone,  —  thanks  to 
which  the  lovely  instrument  promises  soon  to  become 
again  as  sharp  as  ever. 

The  last, — and  we  begin  to  realize  the  mistake  we 
have  made  in  placing  him  in  the  category  of  those  who 
seemed  most  interested  in  the  discussion  going  on  be- 
tween the  scribe  and  his  assistants,  —  the  last,  we  say, 
leaning  against  the  side  of  the  cave,  his  arms  hanging  by 
his  side,  his  eyes  lifted  to  the  sky  or  rather  to  the  damp 
and  gloomy  roof  of  the  cave  on  which  play  like  will-o'- 
the-wisps  the  flickering  rays  of  the  pine  torch,  seems  at 
once  a  dreamer  and  a  poet.  What  is  he  seeking  at  this 
moment  ?  The  solution  of  some  problem  like  those 
solved  by  Christopher  Columbus  and  Galileo  t  Is  it  the 


14  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

form  of  a  tiercet  such  as  Dante  made,  or  of  a  stanza 
such  as  Tasso  sung  ]  No  one  knows  except  the  demon 
which  dwells  in  him,  and  which  is  so  little  interested  in 
material  things  —  absorbed  as  it  is  in  the  contemplation 
of  abstract  things  —  that  it  allows  every  portion  of  the 
worthy  poet's  clothing  to  fall  in  tatters,  except  those 
which  are  of  iron,  leather,  or  steel. 

We  have  drawn  the  portraits,  both  good  and  bad  ;  now 
let  us  give  to  each  its  name.  The  scribe  is  called  Pro- 
cope  ;  he  is  a  Norman  and  was  educated  for  a  lawyer,  and 
he  spices  his  conversation  with  quotations  from  the  laws 
of  Rome  and  of  Charlemagne.  Whoever  makes  a  writ- 
ten agreement  with  him  may  expect  a  lawsuit.  If 
however  one  is  satisfied  with  his  word,  that  is  as  good 
as  gold ;  but  his  way  of  keeping  his  word  is  not  always 
in  harmony  with  the  common  ideas  of  morality.  We  will 
give  an  example  of  this,  which  at  the  same  time  will  ex- 
plain his  present  adventurous  mode  of  life.  A  seigneur 
of  the  court  of  Fran§ois  I.,  with  three  of  his  companions, 
came  one  day  to  propose  to  him  a  transaction.  He 
knew  that  the  royal  treasurer  that  very  night  was  to 
carry  from  the  Arsenal  to  the  Louvre  one  thousand 
crowns  in  gold;  the  plan  was  to  stop  the  treasurer  at 
the  corner  of  the  Rue  Saint-Paul,  take  from  him  the 
thousand  gold  crowns,  and  divide  them  among  them- 
selves in  this  way, — five  hundred  to  the  seigneur,  who 
would  wait  at  the  Place  Royale  until  the  deed  was  ac- 
complished, and  who  oil  account  of  his  rank  claimed  one 
half  of  the  sum ;  the  other  half  was  to  be  divided  among 
Procope  and  his  three  companions,  who  would  each 
have  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  crowns.  The  word 
was  pledged  on  both  sides,  and  the  thing  was  done  ac- 
cording to  agreement ;  but  when  the  treasurer  was  duly 
robbed,  murdered,  and  thrown  into  the  river,  the  three 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  15 

companions  of  Procope  ventured  this  proposition,  —  that 
instead  of  going  to  the  Place  Royale,  they  should  take 
their  way  toward  Notre-Dame  and  keep  the  thousand 
gold  crowns  instead  of  remitting  five  hundred  to  the 
nobleman.  But  Procope  reminded  them  of  their  pledged 
word. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said  gravely,  "you  forget  that  thus 
we  should  fail  to  keep  our  agreement,  that  thus  we 
should  defraud  a  client !  We  must  have  loyalty  before 
all  things.  We  will  remit  to  the  duke  "  (the  seigneur  was 
a  duke)  "  the  five  hundred  gold  crowns  which  are  due  to 
him,  in  full  count.  But,"  he  continued,  perceiving  that 
the  proposition  excited  some  murmurs,  "  distinguimus  ; 
when  he  shall  have  received  them  and  recognized  us  as 
honest  men,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  us  from  conceal- 
ing ourselves  in  the  cemetery  of  Saint-Jean,  which  I  am 
very  sure  that  he  will  pass  ;  it  is  a  lonely  place  and  very 
favorable  for  ambuscades.  We  will  treat  the  duke  as 
we  have  treated  the  treasurer ;  and  as  the  cemetery  of 
Saint-Jean  is  not  very  far  from  the  Seine,  they  will  both 
be  found  to-morrow  in  the  nets  at  Saint-Cloud.  So  that 
instead  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  crowns,  each  one 
of  us  will  have  two  hundred  and  fifty,  which  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  crowns  we  can  enjoy  and  use  without  re- 
morse, having  faithfully  kept  our  word  with  this  good 
duke." 

The  proposition  was  accepted  with  enthusiasm,  and 
was  carried  into  execution.  Unfortunately,  in  their 
haste  to  throw  him  into  the  river,  the  four  associates  did 
not  perceive  that  the  duke  had  not  ceased  to  breathe ; 
the  coolness  of  the  water  restored  his  strength,  and  in- 
stead of  going  as  far  as  Saint-Cloud,  as  Procope  hoped, 
he  reached  the  Quai  de  Gevres,  hastened  on  to  Chatelet, 
and  gave  to  the  provost  of  Paris,  who  at  this  time  was 


16  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Monsieur  d'Estourville,  so  exact  a  description  of  the  four 
robbers  that  from  that  time  forth  they  thought  it  best 
to  keep  away  from  Paris  for  fear  of  arrest ;  in  which  case, 
in  spite  of  Procope's  profound  knowledge  of  the  law, 
they  would  have  been  obliged  to  give  up  that  to  which 
all  persons,  however  philosophical,  cling  more  or  less,  — 
that  is  to  say,  existence. 

Our  four  blades  had  therefore  left  Paris,  each  one 
going  in  the  direction  of  one  of  the  four  cardinal  points. 
The  northern  course  fell  to  the  lot  of  Procope.  Thus  it 
happens  that  we  have  the  pleasure  of  finding  him  wield- 
ing the  pen  in  the  cavern  of  Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise,  draw- 
ing up,  by  the  choice  of  his  new  companions  who  had 
rendered  this  homage  to  his  merit,  the  important  instru- 
ment to  which  we  shall  presently  give  our  attention. 

The  individual  who  held  the  torch  bore  the  name 
of  Heinrich  Scharfenstein.  This  unworthy  disciple  of 
Luther  had  been  driven,  by  Charles  V.'s  persecution  of 
the  Huguenots,  into  the  ranks  of  the  French  army,  to- 
gether with  his  nephew  Frantz,  who  is  at  this  moment 
keeping  watch  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  These  are  two 
giants  who  may  be  said  to  be  animated  by  one  soul  and 
actuated  by  one  mind.  Many  persons  contend  that  one 
mind  is  not  sufficient  for  two  bodies  each  six  feet  tall  ; 
but  the  Scharfensteins  are  not  of  this  opinion,  and  are 
wholly  satisfied  with  the  arrangement. 

In  ordinary  life  they  rarely  condescend  to  have  re- 
course to  assistance,  whether  of  man,  instrument,  or 
machine,  in  order  to  attain  their  ends.  If  some  heavy 
body  is  to  be  moved,  instead  of  trying  to  find  out,  like 
our  modern  men  of  science,  by  what  dynamic  force  Cleo- 
patra transported  her  vessels  from  the  Mediterranean  to 
the  Red  Sea,  or  what  machinery  Titus  used  to  raise  the 
gigantic  blocks  of  the  Circus  of  Flavian,  they  boldly 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  17 

surround  the  object  to  be  moved  with  their  four  arms, 
they  form  an  infrangible  chain  with  their  fingers  of  steel, 
they  make  a  simultaneous  effort  with  the  precision  which 
distinguishes  all  their  movements,  and  the  object  leaves 
its  place  for  that  which  they  intend  it  to  occupy.  If 
a  wall  is  to  be  scaled  or  a  window  to  be  reached,  in- 
stead of  dragging  after  them,  as  their  companions  do,  a 
heavy  ladder,  which  hinders  their  progress  when  the  ex- 
pedition succeeds,  or  which  must  be  abandoned  as  a 
proof  of  criminality  in  case  of  failure,  they  go  empty- 
handed  to  the  work  in  hand.  One  of  them,  no  matter 
which,  leans  against  the  wall ;  the  other  mounts  upon  his 
shoulders,  and  if  necessary  upon  his  hands  raised  above 
his  head.  With  the  aid  of  his  own  arms  the  second 
reaches  thus  a  height  of  from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet,  a 
height  almost  always  sufficient  to  gain  the  top  of  a  wall 
or  the  balcony  of  a  window. 

In  battle  there  is  always  the  same  system  of  physical 
association.  They  march  side  by  side  and  with  equal 
step.  One  strikes  while  the  other  plunders;  when  the 
one  who  strikes  is  tired  of  striking,  he  simply  passes  the 
sword,  the  sledge,  or  the  axe  to  his  companion  with  these 
words  only,  "  It  is  your  turn."  Then  the  roles  change  ; 
the  despoiler  becomes  the  striker,  and  the  striker  takes 
the  place  of  the  despoiler.  It  is  true  that  their  manner 
of  striking  is  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  ;  but  we 
think  that  on  the  whole  they  are  valued  more  for  their 
arms  than  their  brains,  their  strength  than  their  intelli- 
gence. This  is  the  reason  why  one  has  been  appointed 
to  stand  sentry  outside,  and  the  other  to  act  as  chancellor 
within. 

As  for  the  young  man  who  is  stroking  his  black  mus- 
tache and  combing  his  curly  hair,  he  is  called  Yvounet ; 
he  is  a  Parisian  by  birth  and  a  Frenchman  in  feeling. 
VOL.  i. — 2 


18  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Besides  the  physical  advantages  we  have  already  de- 
scribed, he  has  feet  and  hands  like  a  woman's.  In  time 
of  peace  he  complains  unceasingly.  The  fold  of  the  rose- 
leaf  hurts  him,  as  it  did  the  ancient  Sybarite ;  he  is  lazy 
when  he  is  required  to  walk  ;  he  is  dizzy  at  the  thought 
of  climbing ;  it  gives  him  the  headache  to  think.  Im- 
pressionable and  nervous  as  a  young  girl,  his  sensitiveness 
requires  the  most  careful  consideration.  In  the  daytime 
he  utterly  detests  spiders,  he  has  a  horror  of  toads,  he 
becomes  sick  at  the  sight  of  a  mouse.  He  requires  to  be 
beside  himself  with  a  grand  passion  before  he  will  venture 
out  into  the  darkness,  to  which  he  has  an  antipathy.  To 
be  sure,  —  to  do  him  justice, —  he  always  has  some  grand 
passion ;  but  almost  always,  if  the  rendezvous  is  ap- 
pointed for  the  night,  he  comes  into  the  presence  of  his 
mistress  frightened  to  death  and  trembling  all  over ;  and 
as  many  reassui'ing  words,  ardent  caresses,  and  considerate 
attentions  are  necessary  to  compose  him  as  Hero  lavished 
upon  Leander  when  he  entered  her  tower  all  dripping 
with  the  water  of  the  Hellespont. 

It  is  true  that  the  moment  he  hears  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet,  as  soon  as  he  smells  the  powder  and  sees  the 
standards  borne  along,  Yvonnet  is  no  longer  the  same 
man  ;  he  undergoes  a  complete  transformation,  —  no  more 
idleness,  no  more  dizziness,  no  more  headaches !  The 
young  girl  becomes  a  ferocious  soldier,  cutting  and 
thrusting,  —  a  veritable  lion,  with  paws  of  iron  and  teeth 
of  steel.  He  who  hesitates  to  ascend  a  pair  of  stairs  to 
reach  the  bedchamber  of  a  pretty  woman  climbs  a  lad- 
der, hangs  by  a  rope,  suspends  himself  by  a  thread  even, 
in  order  to  be  the  first  to  gain  the  top  of  the  wall.  The 
battle  finished,  be  washes  with  the  greatest  care  his  hands 
and  face,  changes  his  linen  and  clothes,  then  gradually 
becomes  again  the  young  man  whom  we  see  at  this 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  19 

moment  stroking  his  mustache,  combing  his  hair,  and 
flipping  off  with  the  end  of  his  fingers  the  impertinent 
dust  which  is  sticking  to  his  clothes. 

The  one  who  is  binding  up  the  wound  he  has  received 
in  his  left  arm  is  called  Malemort.  His  is  a  gloomy  and 
melancholy  mind,  which  has  only  one  passion,  one  love, 
one  joy,  —  war.  Unfortunate  passion,  love  illy  recom- 
pensed, joy  fleeting  and  fatal ;  for  at  the  very  first  taste 
of  caniage,  thanks  to  that  reckless  fury  with  which  he 
throws  himself  into  the  combat,  and  to  his  carelessness, 
while  striking  others,  about  his  own  safety,  he  receives 
some  frightful  pike-thrust,  some  terrible  musket-shot, 
which  stretches  him  on  the  ground,  where  he  groans  la- 
mentably, not  from  the  pain  of  his  wound,  but  from  the 
pain  of  seeing  the  fete  go  on  without  him.  Fortunately, 
his  flesh  heals  quickly  and  his  bones  knit  readily.  At 
the  present  time  he  can  count  twenty-five  wounds,  — 
three  more  than  Caesar !  —  and  he  hopes,  if  the  war  con- 
tinues, to  receive  twenty-five  more  before  the  final  one 
shall  put  an  end  to  this  career  of  glory  and  pain. 

The  thin  individual  on  his  knees  in  the  corner  telling 
his  beads  is  Lactance.  He  is  an  ardent  Catholic,  and  can 
scarcely  endure  the  presence  of  the  two  Scharfensteius, 
whose  heresy  he  fears  will  contaminate  him.  Forced  by 
the  practice  of  his  profession  to  fight  against  his  brothers 
iu  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  kill  as  many  of  them  as  possible, 
there  is  no  penance  he  does  not  impose  upon  himself  to 
atone  for  this  cruel  necessity.  The  gown  with  which  he 
is  at  this  moment  clothed,  and  which  he  wears  without 
vest  or  shirt,  next  to  the  skin,  is  lined  with  a  coat  of 
mail,  —  although  sometimes  the  coat  of  mail  becomes  the 
fabric,  and  the  cloth  the  lining.  For  in  combat  he  wears 
the  coat  of  mail  outside  as  a  cuirass ;  when  the  battle  is 
ended  he  wears  the  coat  of  mail  inside,  and  it  serves  as 


20  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

sackcloth.  There  is  a  certain  satisfaction  in  being  killed 
by  him  ;  he  who  dies  by  the  hand  of  this  holy  man  is 
sure  at  least  that  prayers  will  be  offered  for  him.  In  the 
last  engagement  Lactance  has  killed  two  Spaniards  and 
one  Englishman  ;  and  as  he  is  in  arrears  with  them,  espe- 
cially on  account  of  the  heresy  of  the  Englishman,  for 
whom  an  ordinary  De  profundis  is  not  sufficient,  he  is 
saying,  as  we  have  seen,  many  a  Pater  and  many  an  Ave, 
resigning  to  his  companions  his  share  of  interest  in  the 
temporal  concerns  which  are  under  discussion  at  this 
moment. 

The  man  who  is  resting  his  hands  on  the  table,  and 
who,  unlike  Lactance,  follows  with  rapt  attention  every 
stroke  of  Procope's  pen,  is  Maldent.  He  was  born  at 
Noyon  ;  his  father  was  from  Le  Mans,  and  his  mother 
from  Picardy.  His  youth  has  been  spent  in  extravagance 
and  folly ;  having  arrived  at  mature  age,  he  wishes  to 
make  up  for  lost  time  and  attend  to  his  affairs.  He  has 
met  with  a  multitude  of  adventures,  which  he  relates 
with  a  naivete  not  without  its  charm  ;  but  it  must  be 
confessed,  this  naivete  disappears  completely  when  he 
argues  with  Procope  some  point  of  law.  Then  they  make 
real  the  legend  of  the  two  Gaspards,  of  which  they  are 
perhaps  the  heroes,  the  one  from  Le  Mans  and  the  other 
from  Normandy.  Maldent  gives  and  takes  bravely  a 
sword-thrust ;  and  although  he  may  be  far  from  having 
the  strength  of  Heinrich  or  of  Frantz  Scharfenstein,  the 
courage  of  Yvonnet,  or  the  impetuosity  of  Malemort,  he 
is  a  companion  to  rely  upon  in  need,  who  would  never 
desert  a  comrade. 

It  is  Pilletrousse  who  is  sharpening  his  dirk  and  trying 
the  point  with  the  end  of  his  finger.  He  is  a  thorough 
mercenary.  He  has  served  by  turns  the  Spanish  and  the 
English.  But  the  English  bargained  too  much,  and  the 


THE  ADVENTURERS.  21 

Spanish  did  not  pay  enough  ;  he  therefore  determined  to 
work  on  his  own  account.  Pilletrousse  prowls  about  the 
highways.  At  night,  especially,  the  highways  are  infested 
with  thieves  of  all  nations.  Pilletrousse  robs  the  thieves ; 
but  he  respects  the  French,  his  fellow-countrymen,  so  to 
speak,  —  Pilletrousse  is  Provencal.  In  respect  to  them  he 
is  even  generous,  —  if  they  are  poor,  he  assists  them  ;  if 
they  are  feeble,  he  protects  them ;  if  they  are  sick,  he 
takes  care  of  them.  But  if  he  meets  with  a  real  fellow- 
countryman,  —  that  is  to  say,  a  man  who  was  born  in 
the  country  between  Mount  Viso  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Rhone,  between  Comtat  and  Frejus,  —  this  man  can  dis- 
pose of  Pilletrousse,  body  and  soul,  blood  and  money  ;  and 
it  is  Pilletrousse  who  will  seem  to  be  under  obligation. 

Finally,  the  ninth  and  last,  who  stands  with  back  to 
the  wall,  who  is  swinging  his  arms  and  looking  upward, 
is  Fracasso.  He  is,  as  we  have  said,  a  dreamer  and  a 
poet ;  unlike  Yvonnet,  who  shuns  the  darkness,  he  loves 
these  fine  nights  lighted  only  by  the  stars ;  he  loves  the 
indented  banks  of  the  river  ;  he  loves  the  sound  of  the 
waves  upon  the  sea-shore.  Unfortunately,  forced  to  fol- 
low the  French  army  wherever  it  goes,  —  for  although 
an  Italian,  he  has  consecrated  his  sword  to  the  cause  of 
Henri  II.,  —  he  is  not  at  liberty  to  wander  at  his  own 
will.  But  what  matter  ]  For  the  poet  there  is  inspira- 
tion in  everything ;  for  the  dreamer  everything  is  food 
for  revery  ;  but  then  the  characteristic  of  the  dreamer  is 
distraction,  and  distraction  is  fatal  in  the  career  adopted 
hy  Fracasso.  Often  in  the  midst  of  a  battle  Fracasso 
stops  suddenly  to  listen  to  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  to  look 
at  a  passing  cloud,  or  admire  some  interesting  feat  of 
arms.  Then  the  enemy  who  is  nearest  Fracasso  profits 
by  this  preoccupation  to  aim  at  him  quietly  a  fearful 
thrust,  which  restores  him  to  his  senses  and  arouses  him 


22  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

from  his  ecstasy.  But  woe  to  this  enemy  if,  in  spite  of 
his  favorable  opportunity,  he  has  calculated  badly  and 
failed  to  stun  Fracasso  with  the  blow !  Fracasso  will 
avenge  himself,  not  for  the  attack  upon  himself,  but  to 
punish  the  intruder  who  has  brought  him  down  from  the 
seventh  heaven  where  he  was  soaring,  borne  on  the  bright- 
hued  wings  of  fantasy  and  imagination. 

And  now  that  we  have  given  a  description  of  our 
adventurers,  —  some  of  whom  cannot  be  wholly  unknown 
to  those  of  our  friends  who  have  read  "  Ascanio  "  and 
"  The  Two  Dianas,"  —  let  us  state  the  circumstances 
which  have  brought  them  together  in  this  cavern,  and 
the  character  of  the  mysterious  document  to  the  wording 
of  which  they  are  giving  their  whole  attention. 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  23 


CHAPTER  III. 

IN  WHICH  THE  READER  MAKES  FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE 
WITH  THE  HEROES  TO  WHOM  WE  HAVE  INTRODUCED 
HIM. 

ON  the  morning  of  that  5th  of  May,  1555,  a  little  com- 
pany of  four  men,  who  apparently  were  a  part  of  the 
garrison  of  Doulens,  left  that  city,  slipping  out  through 
the  Arras  gate,  as  soon  as  that  gate,  we  will  not  say  had 
been  opened,  but  was  in  process  of  opening. 

These  four  men,  wrapped  in  heavy  cloaks,  which  might 
serve  to  conceal  their  arms  as  well  as  to  protect  them 
from  the  cold  morning  wind,  had  proceeded  along  the 
banks  of  the  river  Authie,  which  they  followed  with 
every  precaution  to  its  very  source.  From  that  point 
they  had  branched  off  to  the  chain  of  hillocks  of  which 
we  have  already  spoken,  followed,  always  with  the  same 
precautions,  its  western  course,  and  after  a  two  hours'  walk 
entered  the  borders  of  the  forest  of  Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. 

There  one  of  them,  who  appeared  to  be  more  familiar 
than  the  others  with  the  locality,  took  the  lead,  and  rec- 
ognizing his  whereabouts,  now  by  means  of  a  tree  of 
denser  foliage  or  more  bare  of  branches  than  the  others, 
now  by  means  of  a  rock  or  pool  of  water,  he  reached  with 
very  little  deviation  the  mouth  of  this  cavern  to  which  we 
conducted  our  readers  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  pre- 
ceding chapter. 

Then  he  made  a  sign  to  his  companions  to  wait  a  mo- 
ment, observing  attentively  the  grass,  which  he  thought 


24  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

newly  trodden  down,  and  certain  branches  which  seemed 
to  him  to  be  freshly  broken.  Then  he  threw  himself  flat 
on  the  ground,  and  creeping  like  a  snake,  disappeared 
within  the  cavern. 

Very  soon  his  companions,  who  had  remained  outside, 
heard  the  sound  of  his  voice ;  but  there  was  nothing  in 
its  tone  to  alarm  them.  He  was  calling  to  the  depths  of 
the  cavern ;  and  as  his  only  answer  was  silence  and  soli- 
tude, —  as  he  heard,  notwithstanding  his  twice-repeated 
call,  only  the  echo  of  his  own  voice,  —  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  come  out  and  summon  his  companions  to  follow 
him. 

The  three  men  followed  him,  and  after  some  difficulties, 
soon  however  overcome,  found  themselves  in  the  interior 
of  the  cavern. 

"  Ah  ! "  murmured  he  who  had  so  skilfully  served  as 
guide,  breathing  a  sigh  of  relief,  "  tandem  ad  terminum 
eamus." 

"  And  what  may  that  mean  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  three 
adventurei-s,  who  had  a  very  strong  Picard  accent. 

"  That  means,  my  dear  Maldent,  that  we  are  nearing, 
or  rather  have  reached,  the  end  of  our  journej*." 

"  Pardon,  Monsieur  Brogope,"  said    another,    "  but   I 
did  n't  understand.     Did  you,  Heinrich  1 " 
"  I  did  n't  understand  either." 

"  And  why  the  devil  do  you  want  to  understand  1 "  re- 
plied Procope,  —  for  the  reader  has  already  guessed  that 
.  it  was  our  lawyer  whom  Frantz  Scharfenstein  addressed 
as  "Brogope,"  —  "is  it  not  enough  if  Maldent  and  I 
understand  ? " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  two  Germans,  philosophically, 
"  that  is  enough." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Procope,  "let  us  sit  down  and  eat 
and  drink  to  pass  the  time  while  I  unfold  my  plans." 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  25 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Fraiitz  Scharfenstein,  "  let  us  eat 
and  drink  to  pass  the  time,  and  he  will  unfold  his 
plans." 

The  adventurers  looked  about  them ;  and  as  their  eyes 
were  becoming  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  which,  be- 
sides, was  not  so  great  near  the  entrance  as  in  the  re- 
moter parts  of  the  cavern,  they  saw  three  stones,  which 
they  placed  near  together  that  they  might  talk  more 
confidentially. 

As  they  could  not  find  a  fourth  stone,  Heinrich  Schar- 
fenstein politely  offered  his  to  Procope,  who  had  no  seat ; 
but  Procope  as  politely  declined  it,  spread  his  cloak  upon 
the  ground,  and  lay  down  upon  it. 

Then  they  took  from  wallets  carried  by  the  two  giants 
some  bread,  cold  meat,  and  wine ;  they  put  it  all  in  the 
middle  of  the  semicircle  of  which  the  three  adventurers 
who  were  seated  formed  the  arc,  and  of  which  Procope, 
who  was  lying  down,  formed  the  chord  ;  then  they  at- 
tacked this  improvised  breakfast  with  a  ferocity  which 
proved  that  the  morning  walk  they  had  just  taken  had 
not  been  without  its  effect  upon  their  appetites. 

For  about  ten  minutes  nothing  was  heard  but  the  noise 
of  teeth  crauuching,  with  a  regularity  which  would  have 
done  credit  to  machinery,  bread  and  the  flesh  and  even 
the  bones  of  poultry  which  had  been  stolen  from  the 
neighboring  farms,  and  which  constituted  the  more  deli- 
cute  portion  of  the  feast. 

Maldent  was  the  first  to  recover  speech.  "  You  prom- 
ised, my  dear  Procope,"  said  he,  "  that  while  we  were 
lunching  you  would  unfold  your  plan.  Luncheon  is 
more  than  half  through,  at  least  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned. Begin  your  exposition,  then ;  I  am  listening." 

"Yes,  we  are  listening,"  said  Frautz,  with  his  mouth 
full. 


26  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"Well,  then,  here  it  is,  —  'Ecce  res  judicanda/  as 
they  say  at  court." 

"  Be  quiet,  you  Scharfensteins  ! "  said  Maldent. 

"  I  have  not  said  a  single  word,"  replied  Frantz. 

"  Neither  have  I,"  said  Heinrich. 

"  Ah  !  I  thought  I  heard  —  " 

"  I  thought  so  too,"  said  Procope. 

•*  Nonsense  !  it  is  pi*obably  some  fox  we  have  disturbed 
in  its  hole.  Go  on,  Procope." 

"  Well,  then,  I  repeat,  here  it  is  :  there  is,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  league  from  here,  a  pretty  little  farm." 

"  You  promised  us  a  chateau,"  said  Maldent. 

"  Oh,  mon  Dieu !  how  particular  you  are  ! "  said  Pro- 
cope.  "  Well,  I  will  begin  again.  There  is,  a  quarter 
of  a  league  from  here,  a  pretty  little  chateau." 

"  It  makes  no  difference  whether  it  is  a  farm  or  chateau 
if  it  only  has  money  in  it,"  said  Heinrich  Scharfenstein. 

"  Bravo,  Heinrich,  that  is  the  way  to  talk  !  But  this 
fellow  Maldent  quibbles  like  a  lawyer.  I  will  go  on." 

"  Go  on,  then,"  said  Frantz. 

"  There  is,  as  I  said  before,  about  a  quarter  of  a  league 
from  here,  a  charming  country-house,  occupied  by  the 
mistress  alone,  who  has  one  man  servant  and  one  woman 
servant.  It  is  true  that  the  farmer  and  his  people  live 
close  by." 

"  How  many  of  them  are  there  ? "  demanded  Heinrich. 

"About  ten  persons,"  replied  Procope. 

"  Frantz  and  I  will  take  charge  of  the  ten  persons,  — 
eh,  Frantz  ] " 

"  Yes,  Uncle,"  replied  Frantz,  laconic  as  a  Spartan. 

"  Well,"  continued  Procope,  "  this  is  the  plan  :  We 
will  spend  the  day  here  eating,  drinking,  and  telling 
Stories." 

"  Especially  eating  and  drinking,"  said  Frantz. 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  27 

"Then,  at  nightfall,"  continued  Procope,  "we  will 
leave  the  cave  as  silently  as  we  entered  it ;  we  will  make 
our  way  to  the  border  of  the  forest ;  from  there  we  will 
follow  an  obscure  road  which  I  know  as  far  as  the  foot  of 
the  wall.  Once  there,  Frantz  shall  mount  on  his  uncle's 
shoulders  or  vice  versa ;  the  one  who  is  upou  the  other's 
shoulders  shall  climb  the  wall  and  open  the  gate  for  us. 
The  gate  being  open,  —  you  understand,  Maldent  ? —  the 
gate  being  opeu,  —  you  see,  do  you  not,  you  Scharfen- 
steins  ?  —  the  gate  being  open,  we  will  go  in." 

"Not  without  us,  I  hope,"  broke  in,  a  few  paces  behind 
the  group,  a  voice  in  a  tone  so  emphatic  as  to  make  not 
only  Procope  and  Maldent,  but  even  the  two  giants, 
start. 

"  Treason !  "  cried  Procope,  leaping  to  his  feet  and 
taking  a  step  backward. 

"  Treason  ! "  cried  Maldent,  trying  to  see  through  the 
darkness,  but  keeping  his  seat. 

"  Treason  ! "  exclaimed  at  the  same  time  the  two 
Scharfensteins,  drawing  their  swords  and  taking  a  step 
forward. 

"  Ah,  battle  1 "  said  the  same  voice  ;  "  you  want  to 
fight  ?  Well,  come  on.  Here,  Lactance  !  here,  Fracasso  ! 
here,  Malemort !  " 

A  triple  shout  from  the  depths  of  the  cavern  showed 
that  those  who  had  been  called  were  ready  to  respond. 

"  Stop  a  moment,  Pilletrousse,"  said  Procope,  who  had 
recognized  the  voice  of  the  fourth  adventurer  ;  "  what 
the  deuce  1  we  are  not  Turks  or  gypsies  to  cut  one 
another's  throats  in  this  fashion  without  trying  to  come 
to  an  understanding." 

"  Let  us  have  a  light  first,  one  on  each  side ;  let  us 
look  into  one  another's  eyes,  that  we  may  know  with 
whom  we  have  to  deal ;  let  us  come  to  some  agree 


28  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

ment  if  possible  ;  if  we  cannot  agree,  why,  then  we  will 
fight." 

"  Let  us  fight  first,"  said  a  hollow  voice,  which,  coming 
as  it  did  from  the  depths  of  the  cavern,  seemed  like  a 
voice  from  the  infernal  regions. 

"  Silence,  Malemort !  "  said  Pilletrousse  ;  "  it  seems  to 
me  that  Procope  has  made  a  very  reasonable  proposition. 
What  do  you  say,  Lactance  ?  What  do  you  think  about 
it  Fracasso  1 " 

"  I  say,"  replied  Lactance,  "  that  if  this  proposition 
will  save  the  life  of  our  brothers,  I  agree  to  it." 

"  It  would,  however,  have  been  romantic  to  fight  in  a 
cavern,  which  might  have  served  as  a  tomb  for  the  vic- 
tims ;  but  since  it  is  not  necessary  to  sacrifice  material 
interests  to  poetry,"  Fracasso  continued  in  a  melan- 
choly tone,  "  I  embrace  the  opinion  of  Pilletrousse  and 
Lactance." 

"  But  I  want  to  fight !  "  shouted  Malemort. 

"  Come,  bind  up  your  arm  and  hold  your  tongue !  " 
said  Pilletrousse.  "  We  are  three  against  one ;  and  Pro- 
cope,  who  is  a  lawyer,  will  tell  you  that  three  always  out- 
vote one." 

Malemort  roared  with  rage  at  having  to  give  up  so 
good  a  chance  of  receiving  a  new  wound ;  but  following 
the  advice  given  him  by  Pilletrousse,  he  yielded  to,  if  he 
did  not  accept,  the  opinion  of  the  majority. 

Meanwhile  Lactance,  acting  for  his  party,  and  Maldent, 
acting  for  his,  had  each  struck  a  light  ;  and  as  each  party 
had  foreseen  the  necessity  of  seeing  clearly,  two  pine 
torches,  mounted  with  oakum  smeared  with  pitch,  began 
to  burn  at  the  same  time,  and  their  united  flames  illumi- 
nated the  cavern  and  its  occupants. 

We  have  explored  the  former,  and  made  the  acquain- 
tance of  the  latter  ;  there  is  therefore  no  need  of  describ- 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  29 

ing  the  theatre  or  the  actors  therein  ;  we  will  only  show 
the  manner  in  which  they  were  grouped. 

At  the  back  of  the  cavern  stood  Pilletrousse,  Male- 
mort,  Lactance,  and  Fracasso.  Near  the  entrance  were 
the  two  Scharfensteius,  Maldent,  and  Procope. 

Pilletrousse  still  remained  in  advance  of  his  party  ; 
behind  him,  Malemort  was  clinching  liis  fists  in  rage ; 
next  to  Malemort  was  Lactance,  torch  in  hand,  who  was 
trying  to  pacify  his  pugnacious  companion  ;  Fracasso,  on 
his  knees  like  Agis  at  the  tomb  of  Leonidas,  was,  like 
him,  tying  the  thongs  of  his  sandals  in  order  to  be  ready 
for  war,  while  at  the  same  time  praying  for  peace. 

The  two  Scharfensteins,  as  we  have  said,  formed  the 
advance  guard  of  the  opposite  party  ;  close  behind  them 
stood  Maldent,  and  behind  Maldent  was  Procope. 

The  two  torches  lighted  up  all  the  central  portion  of 
the  cavern.  Only  one  recess  near  the  entrance,  contain- 
ing a  pile  of  brakes  destined  doubtless  to  become  the 
bed  of  the  future  hermit  if  he  should  choose  to  occupy  it, 
remained  in  shadow.  A  ray  of  light  stealing  in  through 
the  opening  of  the  cavern,  tried,  but  in  vain,  with  its 
feeble  glimmer  to  vie  with  the  almost  blood-red  rays 
cast  by  the  two  torches.  All  this  formed  a  sombre  and 
martial  scene  which  would  have  been  wonderfully  effec- 
tive on  the  modern  stage. 

Our  adventurers  were  for  the  most  part  no  strangers 
to  one  another;  they  had  met  on  the  field  of  battle, 
fighting  against  a  common  enemy,  and  were  not  eager  to 
begin  the  game  of  slaughter.  Utterly  fearless  as  they 
were,  each  man  found  himself  reviewing  the  situation  in 
his  own  mind.  But  the  man  who  had  the  most  clear 
and  just  appreciation  of  what  the  battle  would  be,  if  it 
took  place,  was  unquestionably  the  lawyer  Procope. 
He  therefore  advanced  toward  his  adversaries,  taking 


30  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

good  care  however  to  keep  within  reach  of  the  two 
Scharfensteins. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  we  have  by  common  accord 
wished  to  see  one  another ;  and  it  is  well,  because  by  so 
doing  we  can  understand  our  chances.  We  are  four 
against  four ;  but  we  have  on  our  side  these  two  gentle- 
men," —  and  he  pointed  to  Frantz  and  Heinrich  Scharfen- 
stein,  —  "  so  that  I  consider  myself  almost  warranted  in 
saying  that  we  are  eight  against  four." 

The  immediate  consequence  of  this  imprudent  gas- 
conade was  a  shout  of  defiance  from  Malemort,  Lactance, 
and  Fracasso,  and  a  general  drawing  of  swords. 

Procope  saw  that  he  had  not  been  as  discreet  as  usual, 
and  that  he  was  on  the  wrong  tack.  He  tried  to  retrace 
his  steps.  "  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  do  not  mean  to 
say  that  even  with  eight  to  four  the  victory  would  be 
ours,  when  that  four  consists  of  Pilletrousse,  Malemort, 
Lactance,  and  Fracasso." 

This  added  remark  seemed  to  quiet  them  somewhat, 
with  the  exception  of  Malemort,  who  was  still  muttering 
in  an  undertone. 

"  Come  to  the  point,"  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Procope,  "  ad  eventum  festina.  Well, 
I  was  saying,  gentlemen,  that  setting  aside  the  always 
uncertain  chances  of  combat,  we  ought  to  try  to  come  to 
some  agreement.  Now,  there  is  a  sort  of  lawsuit  pend- 
ing between  us,  — jacens  sub  judice  lis  est ;  in  what  way 
shall  we  decide  this  lawsuit  ]  In  the  first  place,  by  a 
clear  and  plain  statement  of  the  situation,  in  which  the 
truth  will  appear.  Who  conceived  yesterday  the  idea  of 
taking  possession  to-night  of  the  little  farm,  or  little 
chateau,  of  The  Parcq,  —  whichever  you  choose  to  call  it  1 
These  .gentlemen  and  I.  Who  left  Doulens  this  morning 
to  put  this  project  into  execution  1  These  gentlemen 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  Cl 

and  I.  Who  came  into  this  cavern  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  the  night1?  Again,  these  gentlemen  and  I. 
Finally,  who  matured  the  plan,  who  has  unfolded  it  to 
you,  and  who  has  inspired  you  with  the  desire  to  join  the 
conspiracy1?  Always,  these  gentlemen  and  I.  Answer 
this,  Pilletrousse,  and  say  if  the  management  of  an  en- 
terprise does  not  fairly  and  fully  belong  to  those  who 
first  conceived  the  idea  and  first  planned  to  carry  it  into 
execution.  Dixi." 

Pilletrousse  burst  out  laughing ;  Fracasso  shrugged 
his  shoulders ;  Lactance  shook  his  torch ;  Malemort 
murmured,  "  Battle  !  " 

"  What  makes  you  laugh,  Pilletrousse  1 "  asked  Pro- 
cope  gravely,  disdaining  to  address  the  others  and  con- 
senting to  argue  only  with  the  one  who,  for  the  moment 
at  least,  seemed  to  have  made  himself  leader  of  his 
company. 

"  I  am  laughing,  my  dear  Procope,"  replied  the  adven- 
turer to  whom  the  question  had  been  addressed,  "  at  the 
profound  confidence  with  which  you  state  your  claims,  — 
a  statement  which,  even  admitting  the  force  of  the  argu- 
ment you  use,  instantly  destroys  the  claim  of  yourself 
and  your  companions.  Yes,  I  agree  with  you  that  the 
conduct  of  an  enterprise  belongs  fairly  and  fully  to 
those  who  first  conceived  the  idea  of  carrying  it  into 
execution." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Procope,  with  a  triumphant  air. 

"  Yes ;  but  did  you  not  say  that  it  was  yesterday  that 
you  conceived  the  idea  of  sacking  the  little  farm,  or  little 
chateau,  of  The  Parcq,  —  whichever  you  choose  to  call  it  ? 
Well,  we  thought  of  it  day  before  yesterday.  You  left 
Doulens  this  morning  to  put  it  into  execution,  did  you  1 
We  left  Montreuil-sur-Mer  last  night  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. You  arrived  at  this  cavern  an  hour  ago,  but  wf 


32  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

have  been  here  four  hours.  You  matured  this  plan  and 
unfolded  it  to  us?  We  had  already  matured  and  un- 
folded this  plan  to  you.  You  intend  attacking  the  farm 
to-night  1  We  intend  attacking  it  this  evening  !  We 
claim  therefore  the  priority  both  of  idea  and  execution, 
and  consequently  the  right  to  conduct  our  undertaking 
without  fear  of  molestation." 

And  mimicking  Procope's  classical  manner  of  ending 
his  address,  "  Dixi,"  he  added,  with  as  much  assurance 
and  solemnity  as  the  lawyer  himself. 

"  But,"  demanded  Procope,  somewhat  disturbed  by 
Pilletrousse's  reasoning,  "  what  assurance  have  I  that 
you  ai'e  telling  the  truth  ?  " 

"  My  word  as  a  gentleman,"  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  I  should  like  something  better." 

"  The  word  of  a  highwayman,  then  !  " 

"  Hum  !  "  said  Procope,  imprudently. 

Their  blood  was  up ;  the  doubt  cast  upon  Pilletrousse's 
word  by  Procope  exasperated  the  three  adventurers  who 
were  of  his  party. 

"Well,  then,  let  us  fight!"  exclaimed  Fracasso  and 
Lactance  in  one  breath. 

"Yes,  fight,  fight,  fight !"  shouted  Malemort. 

"  Fight,  then,  if  you  want  to  !  "  said  Procope. 

"Fight,  since  there  is  no  other  way  of  settling  the 
affair  ! "  said  Maldent. 

"Fight !"  repeated  Frantz  and  Heinrich  Scharfenstein, 
preparing  to  draw  their  heavy,  two-edged  swords. 

And  as  all  were  agreed,  each  man  drew  his  sword  or 
his  dirk,  took  up  his  axe  or  sledge,  selected  his  adversaiy, 
and  with  menace  on  his  lips,  fury  in  his  face,  and  death 
in  his  hand,  was  about  to  fall  upon  him. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  movement  in  the  pile  of  brakes 
which  were  heaped  up  in  the  recess  near  the  entrance  of 


FURTHER  ACQUAINTANCE.  33 

the  cavern.  A  young  man  elegantly  dressed  bounded  out 
of  the  darkness  into  the  light,  extending  his  arms  like 
Hersilia  in  the  picture  of  "  The  Sabines,"  and  exclaim- 
ing,— 

"Come,  put  up  your  weapons,  comrades  ;  I  take  upon 
myself  to  arrange  everything  to  the  general  satisfaction." 

Every  eye  was  turned  upon  this  new-comer  appearing 
upon  the  scene  in  such  a  brusque  and  unexpected  man- 
ner, and  every  voice  cried  out,  "  Yvonnet !  " 

"  Where  the  devil  do  you  come  from  1 "  demanded  at 
the  same  time  Pilletrousse  and  Procope. 

"  You  shall  know  presently,"  said  Yvonnet ;  "  but 
sheathe  your  swords  and  dirks  first.  The  sight  of  all 
these  naked  blades  irritates  my  nerves  horribly." 

All  the  adventurers  obeyed,  except  Malemort. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Yvonnet,  addressing  him,  "  what 
is  all  this  about,  comrade  1  " 

"Ah,"  said  Malemort,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "can  a  poor 
fellow  never  indulge  in  a  little  fight  in  peace1?"  And 
he  put  up  his  sword  with  a  gesture  indicating  his  anger 
and  disappointment. 


VOL.  i.  — 3 


THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ARTICLES   OF  PARTNERSHIP. 

YVONNET  cast  a  glance  upon  those  about  him,  and  seeing 
that  if  there  was  still  fury  in  their  hearts,  at  least  the 
swords  and  daggers  had  returned  to  their  sheaths,  he 
turned,  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  toward  Pilletrousse 
and  Procope,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  both  done 
him  the  honor  to  put  to  him  the  same  question. 

"  Where  do  I  come  from  ? "  he  repeated.  "  Pardieu  ! 
a  pretty  question  that !  I  come  out  of  that  pile  of  brakes, 
where  I  hid  when  I  first  saw  Pilletrousse,  Lactance,  Ma- 
lemort,  and  Fracasso  coming  in,  and  which  I  did  not 
think  it  prudent  to  leave  on  seeing  the  arrival,  later,  of 
Procope,  Maldent,  and  the  two  Scharfensteins." 

"  But  what  were  you  doing  in  this  cavern  at  that  time 
of  night  ?  —  for  we  got  here  before  daybreak." 

"Ah,  that,"  replied  Yvonnet,  "is  my  secret,  which  I 
will  tell  you  soon  if  you  are  very  good ;  but  first  let  us 
give  our  attention  to  the  business  which  is  most  urgent." 

Then  addressing  Pilletrousse,  he  said,  "  So  then,  my 
dear  Pilletrousse,  you  were  thinking  of  paying  a  little 
visit  to  the  farm  or  chateau  of  The  Parcq,  —  whichever 
you  choose  to  call  it  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  And  you  too  1 "  Yvonnet  asked  of  Procope. 

"  And  we  too,"  replied  Procope. 

"And  you  were  going  to  fight  to  establish  the  priority 
of  your  claims  1 " 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  35 

"  We  were  going  to  fight,"  said  at  the  same  time  Pille- 
trousse  and  Procope. 

"For  shame!"  said  Yvonnet;  "you  are  comrades, 
Frenchmen,  or  at  all  events  men  pledged  to  the  cause  of 
France." 

"Well,  we  could  not  help  it,  since  these  gentlemen 
would  not  give  up  their  purpose,"  said  Procope. 

"  We  could  not  do  otherwise,  since  these  gentlemen  re- 
fused us  our  rights,"  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  '  Could  not  help  it '  !  '  Could  not  do  otherwise ' !  " 
repeated  Yvonnet,  imitating  the  voices  of  the  two  speak- 
ers. "  You  could  not  help  murdering  one  another]  You 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  cut  one  another's  throats  1 
And  you  were  there,  Lactance,  and  saw  these  prepara- 
tions for  bloodshed,  and  your  Christian  soul  did  not 
groan  1 " 

"  Yes,"  said  Lactance,  "  it  did  groan,  and  profoundly  !  " 

"And  is  that  all  with  which  your  holy  religion  has 
inspired  you,  —  a  groan  1 " 

"After  the  combat,"  replied  Lactance,  somewhat  hu- 
miliated by  the  reproaches  of  Yvonnet,  the  justice  of  which 
he  admitted  to  himself,  —  "after  the  combat  I  should 
have  prayed  for  the  dead." 

"  Just  hear  that  !  " 

"  What  would  you  have  had  me  do,  my  dear  Monsieur 
Yvonnet  ? " 

"  Eh,  pardieu  !  do  as  I  do,  who  am  not  a  devotee,  a 
saint,  a  prodigal  in  patemosters  as  you  are.  What  would 
I  have  had  you  do  1  I  would  have  had  you  throw  your- 
self in  among  the  blades  and  the  swords,  —  inter  gladios 
et  enses,  to  speak  after  the  fashion  of  our  lawyer  Procope, 
—  and  I  would  have  had  you  say  to  your  erring  brothers, 
with  that  air  of  compunction  which  suits  you  so  well, 
what  I  am  going  to  say  to  them  myself:  Comrades,  where 


36  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

there  is  anything  for  four  there  is  also  something  for 
eight ;  if  the  first  transaction  does  not  prove  to  be  all 
that  we  expect,  we  will  try  another.  Men  are  born  to 
help  one  another  over  the  rough  paths  of  life,  and  not  to 
place  obstacles  in  the  way  already  so  difficult  to  travel. 
Instead  of  separating,  let  us  combine ;  four  cannot  at- 
tempt without  enormous  risks  that  which  eight  can  ac- 
complish almost  without  danger.  Let  us  keep  our  hatred, 
our  daggers,  our  swords,  for  our  enemies,  reserving  for 
one  another  only  kind  words  and  good  actions.  God, 
who  protects  France  when  he  has  nothing  more  pressing 
to  do,  will  smile  upon  our  fraternity  and  will  send  its 
reward.  This  is  what  you  should  have  said,  dear  Lac- 
tance,  and  what  you  did  not  say." 

"  That  is  true,"  replied  Lactance,  beating  his  breast ; 
"uiea  culpa,  raea  culpa,  mea  maxima  culpa."  And  ex- 
.tinguishing  his  torch,  which  was  no  longer  needed,  he 
fell  on  his  knees  and  began  to  pray  with  fervor. 

"  Well,  then,  I  say  it  for  you,"  continued  Yvonnet ; 
"  and  I  add  also  that  it  is  I  who  bring  you,  Comrades, 
the  divine  recompense  which  Lactance  would  have  prom- 
ised you." 

"  You,  Yvonuet,"  said  Procope,  in  a  doubtful  tone. 
"  Yes,  I,  who  had  conceived  this  very  idea  before  any 
of  you." 

"*\Yhat!"  said  Pilletrousse,    "you  too  conceived  the 
idea  of  getting  into  this  chateau  which  we  are  all  after  1 " 
"  Not  only  have  I  thought  of  the  plan,"  said  Yvonnet, 
"  but  I  have  even  carried  it  into  execution." 

"  Nonsense !  "  cried  all  the  listeners,  paying  renewed 
attention  to  what  Yvonnet  was  saying. 

"  Yes,  I  have  an  acquaintance  in  the  place,"  replied  the 
latter,  —  "a  charming  little  soubrette  named  Gertrude," 
he  added,  stroking  his  mustache,  "  who  is  quite  ready  to 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  37 

leave  for  me  father  and  mother,  master  and  mistress,  — 
a  soul  which  I  am  leading  on." 

Lactance  sighed. 

"  You  say  that  you  have  been  in  the  chateau  1  " 

"  I  came  from  there  last  night.  You  know  how  I  dis- 
like being  out  alone  in  the  dark ;  well,  rather  than  walk 
three  leagues  to  Doulens,  or  six  leagues  to  Abbeville  or 
Montreuil-sur-Mer,  I  preferred  coming  a  quarter  of  a 
league  to  this  cavern,  which  I  remembered  from  having 
held  here  my  first  rendezvous  with  my  sweetheart.  I 
groped  about  until  I  found  this  pile  of  brakes,  the  posi- 
tion of  which  I  knew ;  and  I  was  just  going  to  sleep,  in- 
tending in  the  morning  to  propose  the  affair  to  those  of 
you  whom  I  should  meet  first,  when  Pilletrousse  arrived 
with  his  party  ;  and  later,  Procope  came  with  his.  Each 
party  came  for  the  same  purpose.  This  tendency  toward 
the  same  end  has  caused  the  discussion  which  you  know 
was  about  to  end  in  a  tragic  manner  when  I  thought  it  time 
to  interfere,  and  did  interfere.  Now  I  say  to  you  :  In- 
stead of  fighting,  will  you  form  a  partnership  ?  Will  you 
enter  by  stratagem  instead  of  by  force  ]  Will  you  have 
the  doors  opened  to  you  instead  of  breaking  them  in? 
Instead  of  taking  your  chances  of  finding  the  money  and 
the  jewels,  would  you  prefer  to  have  the  plunder  shown 
to  you  ?  If  so,  give  me  your  hand,  —  I  am  your  man  ; 
and  as  a  sign  of  disinterestedness  and  brother!}7  feeling, 
notwithstanding  the  service  I  am  about  to  render  you,  I 
will  share  with  you  equally.  Now,  if  any  one  has  any- 
thing better  to  propose,  I  am  ready  to  listen  to  what  he 
has  to  say." 

A  murmur  of  admiration  ran  through  the  assembly. 
Lactance,  stopping  short  in  his  prayers,  drew  near  to 
Yvonnet  and  humbly  kissed  the  hem  of  his  garment. 
Procope,  Pilletrousse,  Maldent,  and  Fracasso  pressed  his 


38  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

hand.  The  two  Scharfensteins  almost  stifled  him  with 
their  embraces.  Malemort  alone  grumbled  from  his  corner, 
"  There  will  not  be  a  single  bit  of  fighting,  curse  it !  " 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Yvonnet,  who  had  for  some  time 
desired  some  such  association,  and  who  seeing  the  god- 
dess of  fortune  passing  within  reach  of  his  hand,  did  not 
wish  to  miss  this  opportunity  of  seizing  her  by  the  fore- 
lock, "  do  not  let  us  lose  a  moment.  Here  we  are,  re- 
united, —  nine  comrades,  who  fear  neither  God  nor  the 
devil  —  " 

"  Indeed  !  "  interrupted  Lactance,  making  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  "  we  fear  God." 

"  True,  true,  —  only  a  mode  of  expression,  Lactance. 
I  was  saying,  then,  that  we  were  nine  associates  united 
by  chance  —  " 

"By  Providence,  Yvonnet,"  said  Lactance. 

"  By  Providence,  then.  Fortunately  we  have  among 
us  Procope,  a  lawyer ;  fortunately  this  lawyer  has  about 
him  pen  and  ink,  and,  I  am  very  sure,  some  paper  bearing 
the  stamp  of  our  good  king  Henri  II." 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  have,"  said  Procope ;  "  and  as 
Yvonnet  says,  it  is  lucky." 

"  Then  make  haste ;  let  us  arrange  a  table  and  draw  up 
our  ai'ticles  of  partnership,  while  one  of  us  stands  guard 
„  in  the  forest  near  the  entrance  of  the  cavern,  to  see  that 
we  are  not  disturbed." 

"  I,"  said  Malemort,  "  will  mount  guard,  and  for  every 
Spaniard,  Englishman,  or  German  prowling  about  the 
forest  there  will  be  one  slain  ! " 

"  But,"  said  Yvonnet,  "  that  is  just  what  we  do  not 
want,  my  dear  Malemort.  In  our  position,  that  is  to  say, 
not  far  from  the  camp  of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor 
Charles  Y.,  with  a  man  in  command  of  the  quick  hearing 
and  practised  eye  of  Emmanuel  Philibert  of  Savoy,  we 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  39 

must  kill  only  when  it  is  necessary,  because,  however  sure 
one  may  be  of  his  blows,  they  sometimes  wound  instead 
of  killing ;  the  wounded  scream  like  eagles,  their  cries 
attract  attention,  and,  the  forest  once  occupied,  God 
knows  what  might  happen  to  us.  No,  dear  Malemort, 
you  must  stay  here,  and  one  of  the  two  Scharfensteins 
shall  mount  guard.  Both  are  Germans  ;  if  the  one  who 
is  on  guard  is  discovered,  he  can  pass  himself  off  as  a 
foot-soldier  of  the  Due  d'Aremberg  or  as  a  cavalry-man 
of  Count  Waldeck." 

"  Count  Waldeck  would  be  best,"  said  Heinrich 
Schaifenstein. 

"This  giant  is  full  of  intelligence,"  said  Yvonnet. 
"  Yes,  my  brave  fellow,  '  Count  Waldeck  would  be  best/ 
because  Count  Waldeck  is  a  marauder.  Is  not  that 
what  you  mean  1 " 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  mean." 

"  And  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  a  marauder  were 
hid  in  the  forest  1 " 

"  No,  not  at  all  surprising." 

"  But  the  Scharfeustein  who  shall  be  on  guard  must 
take  care,  with  this  honorable  title  of  marauder,  not  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  Monseigneur  le  Due  de  Savoie. 
He  does  n't  understand  how  to  jest  on  the  subject  of 
marauding." 

"  Faith,"  said  Heinrich,  "  he  had  two  more  soldiers 
hanged  yesterday." 

"  Three,"  said  Frantz. 

"Well,  which  of  you  two  will  mount  guard?" 

"  I,"  replied  the  uncle  and  nephew  together. 

"  My  friends,"  said  Yvonnet,  "this  devotion  is  appre- 
ciated by  your  comrades  ;  but  one  sentinel  is  enough. 
Draw  lots  therefore.  A  post  of  honor  is  reserved  for  him 
who  shall  remain  here." 


40  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  two  Scharfensteins  consulted  together  a  moment. 

"  Frantz  has  quick  ears  and  keen  eyes  ;  he  will  stand 
sentinel  for  you,"  said  Heinrich. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Yvonnet ;  "  go  to  your  post, 
Frantz." 

Frantz  directed  his  steps  toward  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern  with  his  usual  gravity. 

"  Understand,  Frantz,"  said  Yvonnet,  "  that  if  you 
are  captured  by  any  one  else,  it  is  of  110  consequence ; 
hut  if  you  are  captured  by  the  Duke  of  Savoy  you  will 
be  hanged." 

"  Don't  you  fear  that  I  shall  let  anybody  take  me," 
said  Frautz.  And  he  went  out  of  the  cavern  to  go  to  his 
post. 

"  And  where  is  the  post  of  honor  you  promised  ]  "  de- 
manded Heinrich. 

Yvonnet  took  the  torch  from  Maldent,  and  giving  it  to 
Heinrich  said,  "  Stand  here,  hold  the  light  for  Procope, 
and  do  not  stir." 

"  I  will  not  stir,"  said  Heinrich. 

Procope  sat  down,  drew  the  paper  from  his  pocket,  his 
inkstand  from  his  belt,  and  his  pens  from  his  inkstand. 
We  saw  him  at  work  when  we  first  entered  the  cavern 
of  Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise,  ordinarily  so  solitary,  and  by 
a  concurrence  of  strange  circumstances  so  frequented 
to-day. 

We  have  shown  that  the  task  at  which  Procope  was 
hard  at  work  from  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
three  in  the  afternoon  on  the  important  day  of  the  5th 
of  May,  1555,  was  no  easy  matter  to  accomplish  to 
everybody's  satisfaction. 

Each  one  had,  according  to  his  interest  or  his  insight, 
offered  his  amendments  and  his  second  amendments,  as 
if  it  had  been  the  discussion  of  a  bill  in  a  modern  delib- 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  41 

erative  assembly.  These  amendments  and  second  amend- 
ments had  been  acted  on  by  a  majority  vote,  and  it  must 
be  said  to  the  credit  of  our  adventurers  that  they  had 
shown  in  this  discussion  much  fairness,  self-restraint,  and 
impartiality. 

There  are  some  cross-grained  people,  bold  calumniators 
of  judges  and  justice,  who  pretend  to  think  that  a  code 
of  laws  drawn  up  by  robbers,  would  be  much  more  com- 
plete and  especially  much  more  equitable  than  one  drawn 
up  by  honest  men.  We  pity  these  unfortunate  persons 
for  their  blindness,  just  as  we  pity  the  Calvinists  and  the 
Lutherans  for  their  errors  ;  and  we  pray  God  to  pardon 
them  all. 

At  the  moment  when  Yvonnet's  watch  —  for  rare  as 
such  trinkets  were  at  this  period,  this  fop  of  an  adven- 
turer had  managed  to  procure  a  watch  —  pointed  to  a 
quarter  after,  three,  Procope  lifted  his  head,  laid  down  his 
pen,  took  the  paper  in  his  hands,  and  regarding  it  with 
an  air  of  satisfaction,  uttered  an  exclamation  of  pleasure. 
"  Ah,"  he  said,  "  I  think  it  is  finished,  and  not  badly 
done.  Exegi  monument um  !  " 

At  this  announcement  Heinrich  Scharfenstein,  who 
had  been  holding  the  torch  for  three  hours  and  twenty 
minutes,  began  to  stretch  his  arms,  which  were  getting 
very  tired.  Yvonnet  stopped  singing,  but  kept  on  strok- 
ing his  mustache ;  Malemort  finished  the  dressing  of 
his  left  arm,  and  fastened  the  bandage  with  a  pin  ; 
Lactance  muttered  a  final  Ave ;  Maldent,  who  had  been 
leaning  upon  the  table,  straightened  up ;  Pilletrousse 
sheathed  his  now  sufficiently  sharp  dagger,  and  Fracasso 
emerged  from  his  poetic  revery  with  the  satisfaction  of 
having  given  the  final  touch  to  a  sonnet  on  which  he  had 
been  meditating  for  more  than  a  month. 

All  approached  the  table  except  Frantz,  who,  leaving 


42  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  uncle  in  charge  of  their  common  interests,  had  taken 
his  position  as  sentinel  about  twenty  steps  from  the  en- 
trance to  the  cavern,  with  the  firm  resolution  not  only  to 
defend  his  companions  against  intrusion  but  to  defend 
himself  against  capture  by  any  one,  especially  by  Em- 
manuel Philibert  of  Savoy,  the  rough  dispenser  of 
justice. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Procope,  looking  round  with  satis- 
faction upon  the  circle  formed  about  him,  —  a  circle  even 
more  regular  than  that  ordinarily  gathered  about  an  offi- 
cer mustering  his  soldiers,  —  "gentlemen,  is  every  one 
here  ? " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  adventurers  in  chorus. 

"  Is  everybody,"  continued  Procope,  "  ready  to  listen 
to  the  reading  of  the  eighteen  articles  of  the  document 
which  we  have  drawn  up  conjointly,  and  which  might  be 
called  articles  of  partnership  ?  For,  in  fact,  we  are  form- 
ing a  sort  of  company." 

The  answer  was  affirmative  and  general,  —  Hetnrich 
Scharfenstein  answering,  it  was  understood,  for  himself 
and  nephew. 

"  Listen,  then,"  said  Procope.  And  after  coughing 
and  spitting  he  began  :  "We  the  undersigned  —  " 

"  Pardon,"  interrupted  Lactance,  "  I  do  not  know  how 
to  sign." 

"  Parbleu ! "  said  Procope,  "  that  is  a  pretty  piece 
of  business  !  You  will  have  to  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross." 

"Ah,"  murmured  Lactance,  "my  engagement  will  be 
the  more  sacred." 

Procope  continued  :  "  We  the  undersigned,  Jean-Chry- 
sostome  Procope  —  " 

"  You  don't  stand  on  ceremony  ! "  said  Yvonnet  ; 
"you  have  put  your  own  name  first!" 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  43 

"  Somebody  had  to  be  first,"  said  Procope,  innocently. 

"  All  right !  "  said  Maldent,  "  go  on." 

Procope  resumed  :  "  Jean-Chrysostome  Procope,  ex- 
solicitor  at  the  bar  of  Caen,  also  of  Rouen,  Cherbourg, 
Valognes —  " 

"  Corlleu  !  "  said  Pilletrousse,  "  I  am  not  surprised  that 
it  took  you  three  hours  and  a  half  to  write  the  document, 
if  you  have  given  to  each  one,  as  you  have  given  to  your- 
self, his  rank  and  titles.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  surprised 
that  it  is  finished  so  soon." 

"  No,"  said  Procope,  "  I  have  included  you  all  under 
one  title,  and  I  have  assigned  to  each  of  you  a  single  and 
unique  profession  ;  but  I  thought  that  in  regard  to  my- 
self, the  author  of  the  document,  a  statement  of  my 
titles  and  rank  was  not  only  suitable,  but  absolutely 
necessary." 

"That  is  right,"  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  Go  on  !  "  shouted  Malemort.  "  We  shall  never  get 
through  if  we  are  interrupted  at  every  word.  I  am  in  a 
hurry  to  fight." 

"  Well,"  said  Procope,  "  I  am  not  the  one  who  is  in- 
terrupting you,  it  strikes  me  ; "  and  he  continued  :  "  We 
the  undersigned,  Jean-Chrysostome  Procope,  etc.,  Ho- 
nor6-Joseph  Maldent,  Victor-Felix  Yvonnet,  Cyrille-Ne- 
pomucene  Lactance,  Ce"sar-Annibal  Malemort,  Martin 
Pilletrousse,  Vittorio-Albani  Fracasso,  and  Heinrich  and 
Fnintz  Scharfenstein,  —  all  captains  in  the  service  of 
King  Henri  II. — " 

A  murmur  of  applause  interrupted  Procope,  and  no 
one  thought  of  disputing  with  him  the  titles  and  rank  he 
had  assigned  them,  so  occupied  was  each  in  the  adjust- 
ment of  his  cravat,  bandage,  handkerchief,  or  rags,  — 
symbols  of  their  new  rank  as  captains  of  the  French 
army. 


44  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Procope  waited  until  the  murmur  of  applause  had  sub- 
sided, then  went  on,  —  "  have  agreed  as  follows  —  " 

"  Pardon,"  said  Maldent,  "  but  the  deed  is  null." 

"  How  null  1 "  said  Procope. 

"  You  have  forgotten  one  thing  in  making  your  deed." 

"What  is  that?" 

"The  date." 

"  The  date  is  at  the  end." 

"  Ah,"  said  Maldent,  "  that  is  another  thing.  How- 
ever, it  would  have  been  better  to  put  it  at  the 
beginning." 

"  It  makes  no  difference  whether  it  is  at  the  beginning 
or  the  end,"  said  Procope.  "The  Institutes  of  Justinian 
say  positively  :  '  Omne  actum  quo  tempore  scriptum  sit. 
indicate;  seu  initio,  sen  fine,  ut  paciscentibus  libuerit.' 
That  is  to  say,  — '  Every  agreement  must  be  dated  ;  but 
the  contracting  parties  may  place  the  date  at  the  end  or 
at  the  beginning  of  said  agreement.'  " 

"  How  abominable  is  this  language  of  the  law,"  said 
Fracasso  ;  "  and  what  a  difference  there  is  between  this 
Latin  and  that  of  Virgil  and  Horace  !  "  And  he  began  to 
scan  in  a  sentimental  manner  these  lines  from  the  Third 
Eclogue  of  Virgil,  — 

"  Halo  me  Galatea  petit,  lasciva  puella, 
Et  fugit  ad  salices,  et  se  cupit  ante  videri  —  " 

"  Silence,  Fracasso  ! "  said  Procope. 

"  Silence,  if  you  wish  it,"  replied  Fracasso  ;  "  but  it  is 
no  less  true  that,  however  great  an  emperor  Justinian 
may  be,  I  prefer  the  second  Homer,  and  I  would  rather 
have  written  the  Bucolics,  the  Eclogues,  and  even  the 
vEneid,  than  the  '  Digest,'  the  '  Pandects,'  the  '  Insti- 
tutes,' and  the  whole  '  Corpus  juris  civilis.'  " 

Fracasso  and  Procope  were  doubtless  about  to  enter 


THE  ARTICLES  OF  PARTNERSHIP.  45 

into  a  discussion  of  this  important  question,  —  and  God 
knows  where  it  would  have  led  the  disputants  !  —  when 
a  stifled  cry  was  heard  outside  the  cavern,  which  turned 
the  attention  of  the  adventurers  into  a  new  channel. 

Suddenly  the  daylight  was  intercepted  by  some  opaque 
body,  which  came  between  the  artificial  and  ephemeral 
light  of  the  torch  and  the  divine  and  inextinguishable 
light  of  the  sun.  Finally,  a  creature,  the  species  of  which 
it  was  impossible  to  distinguish,  so  many  vague  forms  it 
seemed  to  assume  in  the  dim  light,  advanced  to  the  cen- 
tre of  the  circle,  which  opened  spontaneously  before  it. 

Then  by  the  light  of  the  torch  which  shone  upon  the 
amorphous  mass,  the  astonished  men  recognized  Frautz 
Scharfenstein  holding  in  his  arms  a  woman,  over  whose 
mouth  he  had  placed  his  large  hand  as  a  gag.  Every  one 
awaited  an  explanation  of  this  fresh  incident. 

"  Comrades,"  said  the  giant,  "  here  is  a  little  woman 
who  wus  prowling  around  near  the  entrance  to  the  cav- 
ern ;  I  caught  her  and  brought  her  in,  —  what  shall  be 
done  with  her  ? " 

"  Pardieu  !  "  said  Pilletrousse,  "  let  her  go.  She  will 
not  eat  the  nine  of  us,  probably." 

"Oh,  I  am  not  afraid  of  her  eating  the  nine  of  us," 
said  Frantz,  with  a  coarse  laugh ;  "  I  would  first  eat  her 
myself  all  alone.  That  I  would  !  " 

And  right  in  the  middle  of  the  circle  he  set  the  wo- 
man down  upon  her  feet,  as  Pilletrousse  had  ordered,  and 
quickly  withdrew  into  the  background. 

The  woman,  who  was  young  and  pretty,  and  who  by 
her  dress  appeared  to  belong  to  the  estimable  class  of 
cooks  who  serve  in  good  families,  cast  about  her  a  fright- 
ened glance,  as  if  to  see  what  sort  of  company  she  had 
fallen  among,  and  at  first  sight  she  was  somewhat  alarmed. 
But  before  her  glance  had  taken  in  the  whole  of  the  scene 


46  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

before  her,  it  had  fastened  upon  the  youngest  and  most 
elegant  of  our  adventurers.  "  Oh,  Monsieur  Yvonnet," 
she  cried,  "  for  heaven's  sake,  protect  me  !  defend  me  !  " 
And  she  threw  herself  trembling  into  his  arms. 

"  Why  !  "  said  Y vonnet,  "  it  is  Mademoiselle  Ger- 
trude !  "  And  holding  her  to  his  breast  to  reassure  her, 
he  said :  "  Pardieu  !  gentlemen,  we  shall  have  the  latest 
news  from  The  Parcq  now,  for  this  pretty  child  comes 
from  there." 

Now,  as  the  news  which  Yvonnet  promised  through 
Gertrude  was  of  the  greatest  interest  to  everybody,  our 
adventurers,  abandoning,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  reading 
of  their  articles  of  partnership,  grouped  themselves  about 
the  two  young  persons,  and  waited  impatiently  until 
Mademoiselle  Gertrude's  composure  should  be  sufficiently 
restored  to  allow  her  to  speak. 


COUNT  WALDECK.  47 


CHAPTER  V. 

COUNT   WALDECK. 

IT  was  some  minutes  before  Yvonnet  could  pacify  Made- 
moiselle Gertrude  sufficiently  to  enable  her  to  relate  the 
cause  of  her  sudden  appearance ;  and  even  then  the  nar- 
rative was  so  broken  and  so  much  interrupted  by  ques- 
tions on  the  part  of  her  hearers,  that,  with  the  reader's 
permission,  we  will  substitute  our  own  language  for  that 
of  the  young  lady,  and  relate,  as  truthfully  as  we  can, 
the  tragic  events  which  had  driven  her  from  The  Parcq, 
and  brought  her  among  our  adventurers. 

Two  hours  after  the  departure  of  Yvonnet,  just  as 
Mademoiselle  Gertrude  —  doubtless  somewhat  fatigued 
after  the  visit  of  the  handsome  Parisian  the  previous 
evening  —  was  deciding  that  it  was  time  to  get  up  and 
go  down  to  her  mistress,  who  had  already  called  her  two 
or  three  times,  the  farmer's  son,  a  lad  sixteen  or  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  named  Philippin,  came  rushing  into 
the  chamber  of  the  lady  of  the  house  trembling  all  over 
with  fright,  and  announced  to  her  that  a  troop  of  from 
forty  to  fifty  horsemen,  who  appeared  from  their  yellow 
and  black  scarfs  to  belong  to  the  army  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  ^7.,  were  approaching  the  chateau,  bringing  with 
them  his  father,  whom  they  had  taken  prisoner  while  he 
was  at  work  in  the  fields. 

Philippin,  who  had  himself  been  working  at  a  little 
distance  from  his  father,  had  seen  the  captain  of  the 
company  seize  upon  him,  and  had  divined,  from  the  ges- 


48  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

tures  of  the  soldiers  and  of  their  prisoner,  that  they  were 
talking  about  the  chateau.  He  then  threw  himself  on  the 
ground  and  crept  along  until  he  came  to  a  lonely  path, 
where,  seeing  that  the  lay  of  the  land  would  conceal  his 
flight,  he  started  up  and  ran  as  fast  as  his  legs  would 
carry  him  to  announce  to  his  mistress  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  give  her  time  to  make  some  plan. 

The  mistress  of  the  chateau  arose,  went  to  the  window, 
and  saw  that  the  band  was  scarcely  a  hundred  steps 
distant ;  it  consisted  of  fifty  men,  as  Philippin  had  said, 
and  seemed  to  be  commanded  by  three  leaders.  By  the 
side  of  one  of  the  leaders  walked  the  farmer,  his  hands 
tied  behind  him ;  the  officer  by  whose  side  he  walked, 
had  hold  of  the  end  of  the  cord,  doubtless  to  prevent  the 
farmer  from  trying  to  escape,  or  to  prevent  his  flight  in 
case  he  should  make  the  attempt. 

This  sight  was  not  reassuring.  However,  as  the  cava- 
liers who  were  coming  to  visit  the  chateau  wore,  as  we 
have  said,  the  colors  of  the  Empire  ;  as  the  helmets  of 
the  three  leaders  were  surmounted  with  coronets,  and 
their  breastplates  were  engraved  with  coats-of-arms ;  as 
the  Duke  Emmanuel  Philibert  had  issued  the  most  strin- 
gent orders  against  all  pillage  and  marauding ;  and  more- 
over, as  being  a  woman,  she  had  no  means  of  flight,  the 
mistress  of  the  house  determined  to  receive  the  new- 
comers in  her  best  possible  manner.  Accordingly  she 
left  her  chamber,  and  descending  the  stairs  went,  as  a 
special  mark  of  respect,  to  welcome  them  at  the  door. 

As  for  Mademoiselle  Gertrude,  her  terror  at  the  sight 
of  these  men  was  so  great  that  instead  of  following  her 
mistress,  as  she  ought  to  have  done  perhaps,  she  clung  to 
Philippin,  beseeching  him  in  the  most  piteous  tones  to 
find  her  some  place  where  she  might  hide  until  the 
soldiers  had  taken  their  departure,  and  where  he  — 


COUNT  WALDECK.  49  . 

Philippin  —  could  come  from  time  to  time  to  give  her 
news  of  her  mistress's  affairs,  which  seemed  to  her  to 
be  in  a  pretty  bad  condition. 

Although  Mademoiselle  Gertrude  had  treated  Phi- 
lippin badly  for  some  time  past,  and  although  the 
latter  —  who  could  not  understand  the  reason  for  this 
sudden  change  of  manner  toward  him  —  had  determined 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with  her  even  if  she  should  need 
his  services,  she  was  so  pretty  in  her  terror,  so  charming 
in  her  entreaties,  that  Philippin  yielded,  and  led  her  by  a 
private  stairway  into  the  courtyard,  and  thence  into  the 
garden,  where  he  hid  her  in  a  corner  of  a  well-house 
in  which  his  father  and  he  were  accustomed  to  keep 
the  garden-tools. 

It  was  not  likely  that  the  soldiers,  who  evidently  in- 
tended to  occupy  the  chateau,  its  pantries,  and  its  cellars, 
would  trouble  themselves  about  a  place  where,  as  Phi- 
lippin facetiously  remarked,  there  was  nothing  to  drink 
but  water. 

Mademoiselle  Gertrude  would  have  been  glad  to  keep 
Philippin  with  her,  and  perhaps,  on  his  part,  Philippin 
would  have  liked  nothing  better  than  to  stay  with  Made- 
moiselle Gertrude  ;  but  the  pretty  girl  was  even  more 
curious  than  frightened,  —  so  that  her  desire  for  news 
overcame  her  fear  of  remaining  alone. 

For  greater  security  Philippin  locked  the  door  and 
put  the  key  in  his  pocket,  which  at  first  alarmed  Made- 
moiselle Gertrude,  but  from  which,  on  reflection,  she  was 
able  to  derive  consolation. 

Mademoiselle  Gertrude  held  her  breath  and  listened 
intently  ;  she  heard  at  first  a  great  clanking  of  arms  and 
neighing  of  horses  and  the  loud  voices  of  the  troopers ; 
but  as  Philippin  had  foreseen,  these  sounds  seemed  to 
centre  in  the  chateau  and  its  courtyard. 
VOL.  i.  —  4 


THE  DUKE'S.  PAGS. 

The  prisoner  was  bursting  with  impatience  and  burn- 
ing with  curiosity.  More  than  once  she  went  to  the 
door  and  tried  to  open  it.  If  she  had  succeeded,  she 
would  certainly  have  tried,  at  the  risk  of  any  difficulty 
which  she  might  meet  in  such  an  undertaking,  to  hear 
what  was  said  by  listening  at  the  doors,  and  tb  see 
what  was  going  on  by  looking  over  the  walls. 

At  last  a  step,  light  as  that  of  those  animals  that  prowl 
by  night  around  poultry-yards  and  sheep-folds,  came 
toward  the  well-house ;  a  key,  cautiously  inserted,  grated 
in  the  lock,  and  the  door  opened  slowly,  and  then  closed 
quickly  after  admitting  Master  Philippiu. 

"  Well,  what  are  they  doing  1 "  asked  Gertrude,  even 
before  the  door  was  shut. 

"  Well,  Mademoiselle,"  said  Philippin,  "  it  appears 
that  they  are  really  gentlemen,  as  Madame  la  Baronne 
said  ;  but  such  gentlemen,  bon  Dieu  I  if  you  should  hear 
them  curse  and  swear,  you  would  think  they  were  veri- 
table Pagans." 

"  Mon  Dieu  !  what  are  you  saying,  Monsieur  Philip- 
pin  ? "  cried  the  young  girl,  trembling  with  fear. 

"  The  truth,  Mademoiselle  Gei'trude,  —  God's  own 
truth  !  Why,  when  the  chaplain  wished  to  make  some 
remarks  to  them,  they  answered  that  if  he  did  not  keep 
still,  they  would  make  him  say  Mass,  hanging  head  down- 
ward from  the  bell-rope,  while  their  own  chaplain,  a  bully 
with  beard  and  mustaches,  should  follow  him  in  the 
prayer-book,  so  that  not  a  single  question  or  response 
should  be  omitted." 

"  Why,  then,"  said  Mademoiselle  Gertrude,  "  they  are 
not  .real  gentlemen." 

"  Oh,  yes,  pardieu  !  they  are  of  the  very  highest  rank 
in  Germany.  They  were  not  ashamed  to  give  their 
names,  —  a  piece  of  impudence,  you  will  agree,  after 


COUNT  WALDECK.  51 

conducting  themselves  in  that  way.  The  oldest,  who  is 
a  man  of  about  fifty  years,  is  Count  Waldeck,  and  com- 
mands four  thousand  cavalry  in  the  army  of  his  Majesty 
Charles  V.  Of  the  two  others,  —  who  may  he,  the  first 
from  twenty-four  to  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  the 
second  from  nineteen  to  twenty,  —  one  is  his  legitimate 
son,  and  the  other  his  bastard  son.  But  from  the  little 
I  have  seen,  I  think  he  likes  the  bastard  better  than  the 
other,  —  a  very  common  thing.  The  legitimate  son  is  a 
handsome  fellow,  of  pale  complexion,  with  large  brown 
eyes,  black  hair  and  mustaches,  and  it  is  my  opinion  that 
he  could  be  made  to  listen  to  reason.  But  the  other  is 
very  different ;  he  is  red,  and  has  eyes  like  a  wild-cat. 
Oh,  Mademoiselle  Gertrude,  he  is  a  veritable  demon  ! 
God  keep  you  from  meeting  him  !  He  looks  at  Madame 
la  Baronne  —  oh,  it  is  enough  to  make  one  shudder  !  " 

"  Ah,  really  ? "  said  Mademoiselle,  who  was  evidently 
curious  to  know  what  such  a  look  was  like. 

"  Oh,  man  Dieu  !  yes,"  said  Philippin,  by  way  of  pero- 
ration, "  and  there  I  left  them.  Now  I  will  go  to  learn 
more  news,  which  I  will  bring  back  to  you." 

"Yes,  yes,  go,"  said  Gertrude,  "and  come  back  soon ; 
but  take  good  care  that  you  don't  get  hurt." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  alarmed,  Mademoiselle !  "  replied  Phi- 
lippin. "  I  never  appear  except  with  a  bottle  in  each 
hand  ;  and  as  I  know  where  the  good  wine  is,  the  bri- 
gands are  full  of  consideration  for  me." 

Philippin  went  out,  and  shut  in  Mademoiselle  Gertrude, 
who  immediately  began  to  wonder  what  sort  of  eyes  those 
could  be  whose  glance  was  enough  to  make  one  shudder. 
She  had  not  solved  this  question  satisfactorily  although 
she  had  been  meditating  upon  it  for  nearly  an  hour, 
when  the  key  again  turned  in  the  lock,  and  the  messenger 
reappeared. 


52  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

He  came  not,  however,  like  the  dove  to  the  ark,  and  he 
was  very  far  from  holding  an  olive-branch  in  his  hand. 
Count  "\Valdeck  and  his  sons,  by  means  of  threats  and  even 
of  violence,  had  forced  the  baroness  to  give  up  her  jewels, 
her  plate,  and  all  the  money  she  had  in  the  chateau. 
But  this  was  not  sufficient  for  them  ;  and  this  first  ransom 
having  been  paid,  the  poor  •woman,  just  as  she  believed 
herself  to  be  free  from  the  noble  bandits  who  had  de- 
manded her  hospitality,  had  on  the  contrary  been  seized, 
bound  to  the  foot  of  her  bed,  and  shut  up  in  her  chamber, 
with  the  assurance  that  in  two  hours  the  chateau  would 
be  set  on  fire  if  within  that  time  she  had  not  found,  either 
in  her  own  purse  or  in  that  of  her  friends,  two  hundred 
rose-crowns. 

Mademoiselle  Gertrude  mourned  very  properly  the  fate 
of  her  mistress ;  but  as  she  had  not  two  hundi-ed  crowns 
to  lend  her  to  relieve  her  from  her  embarrassment,  she 
strove  to  think  of  something  else,  and  asked  Philippin 
what  that  hateful  bastard  of  Waldeck's  with  the  red  hair 
and  terrible  eyes  was  doing. 

Philippin  answered  that  that  bastard  of  Waldeck's  was 
getting  drunk,  —  an  occupation  in  which  he  was  helped 
mightily  by  his  father.  The  viscount  alone  kept  his 
self-possession, — as  much  as  was  possible  in  the  midst 
of  pillage  and  orgy. 

Mademoiselle  Gertrude  had  a  fierce  desire  to  see  with 
her  own  eyes  what  an  orgy  was.  As  for  pillage  she  knew 
all  about  that,  having  seen  it  at  Therouanne ;  but  of  an 
orgy,  she  had  not  the  slightest  conception. 

Philippin  explained  to  her  that  it  was  a  meeting  of 
men  who  drank,  ate,  used  bad  language,  and  insulted  in 
different  ways  every  woman  who  came  within  their  reach. 

Mademoiselle  Gertrude's  curiosity  was  redoubled  by 
this  description,  which  would  have  made  a  stouter  heart 


COUNT  WALDECK.  53 

than  hers  tremble  with  fear.  She  begged  Philippiu  to 
let  her  go  out,  if  only  for  ten  minutes ;  but  he  told  her 
so  many  times  and  so  earnestly  that  she  would  risk  her 
life  by  going  out,  that  she  decided  to  remain  in  conceal- 
ment, and  to  wait  until  Philippin's  next  visit  before  com- 
ing to  a  definite  decision. 

This  decision  was  made  before  Philippin's  return.  In 
spite  of  everything,  she  would  force  a  passage,  reach  the 
chateau,  slip  in  through  the  secret  corridors  and  by  the 
secret  stairways,  and  see  with  her  own  eyes  what  was 
going  on,  since  a  narration,  however  eloquent  it  may  be, 
never  does  justice  to  the  scene  it  is  intended  to  portray. 
So,  when  she  heard  for  the  third  time  the  key  turn  in  the 
lock,  she  made  ready  to  rush  out  of  the  well-house,  even 
against  the  advice  of  Philippiu  ;  but  when  she  saw  the 
young  man  she  recoiled  in  terror. 

Philippin  was  as  pale  as  death ;  his  words  were  inco- 
herent, and  his  eyes  wore  the  haggai-d  expression  of  one 
who  has  just  witnessed  some  terrible  scene. 

Gertrude  wished  to  question  him,  but  at  the  sight  of 
his  horror-stricken  countenance  she  turned  suddenly 
cold  ;  the  paleness  of  Philippin's  face  was  reflected  on 
her  own,  and  in  presence  of  that  frightful  silence  she 
could  not  utter  a  sound. 

The  young  man  gave  no  explanation,  but  with  that 
strength  of  despair  which  one  never  even  tries  to  resist, 
seized  her  by  the  wrist  and  dragged  her  toward  the  little 
gate  of  the  garden  which  opened  into  the  plain,  stammer- 
ing out  these  words  only,  — 

"  Dead  —  murdered  —  stabbed ! " 

Gertrude  allowed  herself  to  be  led.  Philippin  left  her 
for  a  moment  to  close  the  garden-gate  behind  them,  —  a 
useless  precaution,  since  no  one  thought  of  pursuing 
them.  But  the  shock  to  Philippin  had  been  so  severe 


54  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

that  the  poor  fellow's  excited  movements  could  not  be 
checked  until  his  strength  should  wholly  fail;  and  his 
strength  failed  when  they  had  gone  about  five  hundred 
steps  from  the  gate.  He  fell  breathless,  murmuring  with 
a  hoai'se  voice,  like  that  of  a  man  in  agony,  those  terrible 
words,  —  the  only  words  he  had  been  able  to  speak,  — 

"  Dead  —  murdered  —  stabbed  !  " 

Then  Gertrude  looked  about  her,  and  saw  that  she 
was  only  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  forest.  She 
was  well  acquainted  with  that  forest,  and  she  knew  the 
way  to  the  cavern.  The  forest  and  the  cavern  would  be 
for  her  a  twofold  refuge ;  and  besides,  in  the  latter  she 
might  find  Yvounet.  She  was  reluctant  to  abandon 
Philippin,  who  had  fainted  by  the  side  of  the  ditch  ;  but 
she  saw  approaching  four  or  five  horsemen  who  might  be- 
long to  the  cavalry  of  Count  Waldeck.  She  had  not  a 
second  to  lose  if  she  would  escape.  She  darted  toward 
the  forest,  and  without  looking  behind,  ran  without 
stopping,  distracted  with  terror,  her  hair  flying,  until  she 
reached  the  edge  of  the  woods,  where  she  leaned  against 
a  tree  for  support  and  took  a  survey  of  the  open  country 
before  her. 

The  five  or  six  cavaliers  had  stopped  at  the  place  where 
Philippin  had  fainted.  They  had  lifted  him  up ;  but  see- 
ing that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  take  a  step,  one  of 
them  had  placed  him  on  the  saddle,  before  him,  and  fol- 
lowed by  his  companions,  had  started  for  the  camp. 

Now  these  men  appeared  to  have  only  good  intentions, 
and  Gertrude  concluded  that  nothing  better  could  happen 
to  poor  Philippin  than  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  men  who 
seemed  so  kind. 

Then,  reassured  as  to  her  companion,  and  having  some- 
what recovered  her  breath  while  resting,  Gertrude  turned 
her  steps  toward  the  cavern,  or  rather  in  the  direction  in 


COUNT   WALDECK.  55 

which  she  supposed  the  cavern  to  lie,  for  her  flight  had 
so  confused  her  that  the  signs  by  which  she  was  accus- 
tomed to  recognize  the  path  were  passed  unnoticed  by 
her.  She  wandered  about,  therefore,  until,  accidentally 
or  by  instinct,  she  found  herself  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
cavern  and  within  arm's  length  of  Frantz  Scharfenstein. 

The. rest  may  be  easily  imagined;  Frantz  threw  one 
arm  around  Gertrude's  waist,  clapped  a  hand  over  her 
mouth,  and  taking  her  up  as  if  she  had  been  a  feather, 
entered  the  cavern  and  deposited  the  frightened  girl  in 
the  midst  of  the  circle  of  adventurers,  to  whom,  reassured 
by  the  kind  words  of  Yvonnet,  she  related  the  events  we 
have  just  described,  and  who  received  her  story  with  a 
general  howl  of  indignation. 

But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  feeling  which 
caused  this  indignation  was  not  a  thoroughly  selfish  one. 
The  adventurers  were  not  indignant  at  the  lack  of  mo- 
rality  shown  by  the  pillagers  with  regard  to  the  Chateau 
du  Parcq  and  its  occupants.  No,  they  were  indignant  that 
Count  Waldeck  and  his  sons  had  pillaged  in  the  morning 
a  chateau  which  they  had  counted  on  pillaging  at  night. 

The  result  of  this  feeling  of  indignation  was  a  general 
clamor  followed  by  a  unanimous  resolution  to  sally  out 
and  see  what  was  going  on,  both  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
camp  where  Philippin  had  been  carried  and  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Chateau  du  Parcq,  the  scene  of  the  events 
which  Gertrude  had  narrated  with  the  eloquence  and 
energy  inspired  by  terror. 

But  the  adventurers'  indignation  did  not  overcome  their 
prudence  ;  it  was  decided  that  some  one  of  them  should 
explore  the  forest  and  report  the  state  of  things  to  the 
rest  on  his  return,  when,  according  as  they  saw  grounds 
for  fear  or  for  confidence,  they  would  determine  on  their 
course  of  action. 


56  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Yvonnet  offered  his  services  to  beat  up  the  forest,  for 
which  indeed  he  was  well  fitted  ;  he  knew  all  the  hidden 
paths,  and  was  as  agile  as  a  deer  and  as  wary  as  a  fox. 

Gertrude  screamed,  and  tried  to  prevent  her  lover  from 
undertaking  so  dangerous  a  mission  ;  but  she  was  given 
to  understand  in  a  few  words  that  she  had  chosen  a  bad 
time  for  sentimental  utterances,  which  would  not  be  ap- 
preciated by  the  rather  practical  society  in  which  she 
found  herself.  She  was  really  a  girl  of  good  sense  ;  she 
became  calm  when  she  saw  that  her  screams  and  tears 
not  only  would  avail  nothing,  but  would  work  to  her  dis- 
advantage. Besides,  Yvonnet  explained  to  her  in  a  low 
tone  that  the  mistress  of  an  adventurer  should  not  affect 
the  nervous  sensibility  of  a  princess  of  romance ;  and 
leaving  her  in  the  care  of  his  friend  Fracasso  and  under 
the  special  protection  of  the  two  Scharfensteins,  he  left 
the  cavern  to  accomplish  the  important  mission  which  he 
had  taken  upon  himself. 

In  ten  minutes  he  came  back.  He  reported  that  the 
forest  was  entirely  deserted,  and  that  there  were  no  signs 
of  danger. 

As  the  curiosity  of  the  adventurers  was  almost  as  much 
aroused  in  their  cavern  by  Mademoiselle  Gertrude's  story 
as  Mademoiselle  Gertrude's  curiosity  had  been  excited  by 
the  story  of  Philippin,  and  as  old  campaigners  of  their 
stamp  could  not  have  the  same  reasons  for  prudence 
which  govern  the  actions  of  a  pretty  and  timid  young 
girl,  they  went  out  from  the  cavern,  leaving  Procope's 
articles  of  partnership  in  the  care  of  the  spirits  of  the 
earth,  invited  Yvounet  to  lead  them,  and  guided  by  him, 
took  their  way  toward  the  borders  of  the  forest,  each 
one  making  sure  that  his  dirk  or  his  sword  had  not 
rusted  in  its  sheath. 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  57 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE  JUSTICIARY. 

As  our  adventurers  advanced  toward  that  place  where  the 
forest  stretched  itself  out  into  a  point  within  a  quarter  of 
a  league  of  Hesdin,  separating  the  two  valleys  of  the  tract 
of  open  country  already  known  to  our  readers,  they 
passed  from  the  comparatively  open  spaces  among  the  tall 
trees,  into  a  thick  undergrowth,  which  with  its  thousands 
of  interlacing  stems,  hound  together  by  the  rich  luxuri- 
ance of  the  wild  creepers,  completely  hid  them  as  they 
glided  cautiously  through  its  shade.  In  this  way  the 
little  baud  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  forest  without  be- 
ing seen.  They  paused  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
ditch  which  separated  the  forest  from  the  open  country. 
This  ditch  bordered  the  road  to  which  we  drew  the  read- 
er's attention  in  the  first  chapter  of  this  book,  as  forming 
a  line  of  communication  between  the  Chateau  du  Parcq, 
the  emperor's  camp,  and  the  neighboring  villages. 

The  spot  was  well  suited  for  a  halt ;  an  immense  oak, 
which  had  been  left,  with  some  others  of  the  same  species 
and  the  same  height,  to  show  what  giants  had  formerly 
fallen  under  the  axe,  spread  above  their  heads  its  leafy 
dome,  while,  by  advancing  a  step  or  two,  they  could  over- 
look the  whole  plain  without  being  seen  themselves. 

All  eyes  were  lifted  instinctively  to  the  rich  vegetation 
of  the  venerable  tree.  Yvonnet  understood  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him  ;  he  nodded  consent,  borrowed  Fracasso's 
note-book,  which  had  only  one  unoccupied  leaf  remaining, 


58  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

—  which  the  poet  pointed  out  to  him,  recommending  him 
to  respect  the  others,  which  contained  his  pensive  lucubra- 
tions. He  placed  one  of  the  two  Scharfensteins  against 
the  rough  column  which  was  too  large  for  him  to  encircle 
with  his  arms,  mounted  upon  the  folded  hands  of  the 
giant,  climbed  from  his  hands  to  his  shoulders,  from  his 
shoulders  to  the  lower  branches  of  the  tree,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment was  seated  astride  one  of  the  strong  branches  with 
the  carelessness  and  security  of  a  sailor  on  a  vessel's  yard 
or  bowsprit. 

Gertrude  had  watched  this  ascent  anxiously ;  but  she 
had  already  learned  to  keep  her  fears  to  herself  and  re- 
strain her  cries.  Besides,  seeing  the  graceful  composure 
with  which  Yvonnet  kept  his  seat  upon  the  branches, 
the  ease  with  which  he  turned  his  head  from  right  to 
left,  she  felt  that  except  for  one  of  those  dizzy  turns  to 
which  he  was  subject,  there  was  110  danger  for  her 
lover. 

Yvonnet,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  looking 
first  to  the  north  and  then  to  the  south,  appeared  to 
divide  his  attention  between  two  equally  interesting 
spectacles. 

These  continued  movements  of  the  head  aroused  the 
curiosity  of  the  adventurers,  who,  down  in  the  thick  un- 
dergrowth, could  see  nothing  of  that  which  offered  itself 
to  Yvonnet's  view  from  the  elevated  region  where  he  had 
established  himself. 

Yvonnet  understood  this  impatience,  of  which  more- 
over they  gave  iudications  by  lifting  up  their  heads, 
questioning  him  with  their  eyes,  and  even  by  venturing 
to  call  to  him  in  suppressed  tones,  "  What  do  you  see  1 " 
Among  these  questioners  with  gesture  and  voice  —  let 
us  do  her  this  justice  —  Mademoiselle  Gertrude  was  not 
the  least  eager. 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  59 

Yvonnet  gave  his  companions  to  understand  by  a 
motion  of  his  hand  that  in  a  few  moments  they  should 
kuow  as  much  as  he.  He  opened  Fracasso's  note-book, 
tore  out  the  blank  leaf,  wrote  upon  it  some  lines  in  pen- 
cil, rolled  up  the  paper  in  his  fingers,  so  that  it  should 
not  blow  away,  and  dropped  it.  Every  hand  was  ex- 
tended to  receive  it,  even  the  white  and  pretty  hands  of 
Mademoiselle  Gertrude ;  but  it  was  into  the  big  battle- 
doors  of  Frantz  Scharfensteiu  that  the  paper  fell. 

The  giant  laughed  at  his  good  luck,  and  passing  the 
paper  to  his  neighbor,  said,  "  The  honor  belongs  to  you, 
Monsieur  Procope  ;  I  do  not  know  how  to  read  French." 

Procope,  no  less  eager  than  the  others  to  kuow  what 
was  going  on,  unfolded  the  paper  and  read  the  following 
lines  :  — 

"  The  Chateau  du  Parcq  is  on  fire.  Count  Waldeck,  his 
two  sons,  and  his  band  of  cavalry  are  returning  along  the 
road  which  leads  from  the  chateau  to  the  camp.  They  are 
about  two  hundred  steps  from  the  point  of  forest  where  we 
are  concealed.  In  the  other  direction  there  is  a  small  party 
coming  from  the  camp  toward  the  chateau.  This  party  con- 
sists of  seven  men,  —  an  officer,  a  squire,  a  page,  and  four 
soldiers.  As  well  as  I  can  judge  from  here,  the  officer  is 
Duke  Emmanuel  Philibert.  His  party  is  at  about  the  same 
distance  from  us  on  our  left,  as  Count  Waldeck's  on  our  right. 
If  the  two  parties  march  with  equal  step,  they  must  meet  at 
the  point  of  the  forest  and  find  themselves  face  to  face 
when  they  least  expect  it.  If  Duke  Emmanuel  has  been  in- 
formed, as  is  probable,  by  Monsieur  Philippin  of  what  took 
place  at  the  chateau,  we  shall  see  something  interesting. 
Attention,  comrades !  it  really  is  the  duke." 

Yvonnet's  note  ended  here ;  but  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  say  more  in  so  few  words,  and  to  promise  with 
more  conciseness  a  spectacle  which  indeed  would  be  of 


60  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  greatest  interest  if  the  adventurer  was  not  mistaken 
in  the  identity  and  intentions  of  the  parties. 

So  each  of  the  associates  approached  cautiously  the 
edge  of  the  forest,  in  order  to  witness  as  comfortably  as 
possible  and  without  danger  the  spectacle  promised  by 
Yvonuet,  to  whom  chance  had  assigned  the  best  point  of 
view. 

If  the  reader  will  follow  our  adventurers'  example,  we 
will  not  trouble  ourselves  about  Count  Waldeck  and  his 
sons,  whom  we  already  know  through  Mademoiselle  Ger- 
trude's story  ;  but  we  too,  stealing  along  by  the  left  edge 
of  the  forest,  will  put  ourselves  in  communication  with 
the  new-comer  announced  by  Yvonnet,  and  who  is  no 
less  a  personage  than  the  hero  of  our  story. 

Yvonnet  was  not  mistaken.  The  officer  who  advanced 
between  his  page  and  his  squire,  followed,  as  if  he  were 
making  his  ordinary  daily  patrol,  by  a  little  band  of  four 
horsemen,  was  indeed  Duke  Emmanuel  Philibert,  general- 
in-chief  of  the  army  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  in  the 
Netherlands. 

It  was  easy  to  recognize  him  from  his  custom  of  carry- 
ing his  helmet  suspended  to  the  side  of  the  saddle  in- 
stead of  wearing  it  on  his  head.  This  he  did  almost 
constantly,  in  sunshine  and  in  rain,  and  even  sometimes 
during  battle ;  from  which  remarkable  insensibility  to 
cold,  heat,  and  blows,  his  soldiers  had  given  him  the 
surname,  Tete  de  Fer. 

He  was,  at  the  period  of  which  we  write,  a  handsome 
young  man  twenty-seven  years  of  age ;  he  had  a  slight 
but  well-knit  figure,  with  hair  cut  very  short,  with  high 
forehead,  brown  eyebrows  clearly  marked,  blue  eyes 
bright  and  keen,  straight  nose,  heavy  mustaches,  a  beard 
trimmed  to  a  point,  and,  finally,  a  rather  thick-set  neck, 
as  is  often  the  case  with  those  who  are  born  of  war- 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  61 

like  races,  and  whose  ancestors  have  worn  a  helmet  for 
several  generations. 

When  he  spoke,  his  voice  was  infinitely  sweet  and 
at  the  same  time  remarkably  firm.  It  could  express, 
strange  to  say,  the  most  violent  menace  without  rising 
more  than  one  or  two  tones ;  the  ascending  scale  of 
anger  was  hidden  in  an  almost  indiscernible  shading  of 
accent. 

The  result  was  that  only  those  persons  who  knew  him 
intimately  could  understand  to  what  perils  those  were 
exposed  who  were  imprudent  enough  to  arouse  and  brave 
this  anger,  —  an  anger  so  well  repressed  that  its  violence 
could  be  perceived  and  its  scope  measured  only  at  the 
moment  when  with  an  explosion,  preceded  by  the  light- 
ning of  his  eyes,  it  burst  forth  in  its  might,  destructive 
as  the  thunderbolt;  then,  just  as  when  the  thunderbolt 
has  struck  the  storm  subsides  and  the  weather  becomes 
clear,  so  when  the  paroxysm  has  passed  the  countenance 
of  the  duke  resumes  its  calmness  and  habitual  serenity, 
to  his  eyes  return  their  pleasant  and  firm  expression, 
his  mouth  recovers  its  beneficent  and  royal  smile. 

The  squire  who  rode  on  his  right  hand  and  who  wore 
his  visor  up,  was  a  young  man  of  fair  complexion,  of 
about  the  same  age  as  the  duke,  and  of  precisely  the  same 
height.  His  clear  blue  eyes,  full  of  power  and  pride ; 
his  beard  and  mustaches  of  a  warmer  tint  than  that  of 
his  flaxen  hair;  his  nostrils  dilated  like  those  of  a  lion; 
his  lips  whose  ripe  fulness  the  hair  which  covered  them 
could  not  conceal;  his  complexion,  rich  both  with  the 
burning  of  the  sun  and  with  the  glow  of  health,  —  all  be- 
tokened the  perfection  of  his  physical  condition. 

Not  hanging  by  his  side,  but  swinging  upon  his  back, 
clanked  one  of  those  terrible  two-handed  swords,  three  of 
which  Francois  I.  broke  at  Marignano,  and  which  on 


62  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

account  of  their  length  could  be  carried  only  over  the 
shoulder,  while  upon  the  bow  of  his  saddle  hung  one  of 
those  battle-axes  which  had  an  edge  on  one  side,  a  head 
on  the  other,  and  at  the  end  a  triangular  spike  ;  so  that 
with  this  single  weapon,  one  could,  as  occasion  demanded, 
cleave  as  with  an  axe,  fell  as  with  a  hammer,  or  stab  as 
with  a  dagger. 

On  the  left  of  the  duke  rode  his  page.  He  was  a 
handsome  youth  barely  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  of  age, 
with  hair  which  looked  blue  from  its  very  blackness,  cut 
&  FAllemande  like  that  of  Holbein's  cavaliers  and  Ea- 
phael's  angels.  His  eyes,  shaded  by  long,  velvety  eye- 
lashes, were  of  an  indescribable  shade  between  chestnut 
and  violet,  which  is  rarely  met  with  except  in  Arabs  or 
Sicilians.  His  complexion,  of  that  peculiar  paleness 
found  in  the  northern  districts  of  the  Italian  peninsula, 
resembled  the  whiteness  of  a  piece  of  Carrara  marble  from 
which  the  Roman  sun  has  long  and  lovingly  absorbed  the 
color.  His  hands,  small  and  white  with  tapering  fingers, 
managed  with  remarkable  skill  an  Arabian  pony,  his  only 
saddle  being  a  covering  made  of  leopard's  skin  with  eyes 
of  enamel  and  teeth  and  paws  of  gold,  and  his  only  bridle 
a  silken  cord.  His  dress,  simple  but  elegant,  consisted  of 
a  black  velvet  tunic,  opening  just  enough  to  show  a 
cherry-colored  vest  slashed  with  white  satin,  drawn  in  at 
the  waist  by  a  gold  cord,  to  which  hung  a  dagger  whose 
handle  was  made  from  a  single  agate.  His  feet,  grace- 
fully modelled,  were  enclosed  in  morocco  boots  which 
reached  to  the  knee,  and  at  that  height  were  entered  by 
breeches  of  velvet  similar  to  that  of  which  the  tunic 
was  made.  Lastly,  his  head  was  covered  by  a  cap  of 
the  same  material  and  color  as  the  rest  of  his  outside 
dress,  and  around  it,  fastened  in  front  by  a  diamond 
clasp,  wound  a  red  plume,  the  end  of  which,  moving  with 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  63 

the  least  breath  of  air,  drooped  gracefully  between  his 
shoulders. 

And  now,  our  new  characters  having  been  described 
and  placed  upon  the  stage,  we  return  to  the  dramatic 
development,  interrupted  for  a  moment,  which  is  about 
to  exhibit  even  more  vigorous  and  decided  action  than 
has  yet  been  displayed. 

Emmanuel  Philibert,  his  two  companions,  and  the  four 
men  who  followed  in  his  train  continued  on  their  way, 
without  either  hastening  or  restraining  the  movement  of 
their  horses.  But  as  they  drew  near  to  the  point  of  the 
forest  the  duke's  face  became  more  serious,  as  if  in  antici- 
pation he  viewed  the  scene  of  desolation  which  would 
meet  his  eyes  when  once  he  had  turned  that  point.  Sud- 
denly the  two  troops,  coming  at  the  same  moment  to  the 
apex  of  the  angle,  found  themselves  face  to  face  ;  and, 
strange  to  say,  it  was  the  more  numerous  party  which 
came  to  a  pause,  held  to  its  place  by  force  of  surprise,  in 
which  some  fear  also  was  clearly  apparent. 

Emmanuel  Philibert,  on  the  other  hand,  without  indi- 
cating by  any  agitation  of  his  person,  gesture  of  his  hand, 
or  expression  of  his  face,  the  sentiment,  whatever  it  might 
be,  by  which  he  was  animated,  continued  on  his  -way 
straight  to  Count  Waldeck,  who,  with  a  son  on  either 
side,  awaited  his  approach. 

At  a  distance  of  ten  paces  from  the  count,  Emmanuel 
made  a  sign  to  his  squire,  his  page,  and  his  four  soldiers, 
who  stopped  at  once  with  military  promptness  and  regu- 
larity, leaving  the  duke  to  advance  alone. 

When  he  had  come  within  arm's  length  of  Viscount 
Waldeck,  who  meanwhile  had  placed  himself  as  a  ram- 
part between  the  duke  and  his  father,  Emmanuel  in  his 
turn  came  to  a  pause. 

The  three  gentlemen  saluted  by  raising  each  a  hand  to 


64  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  helmet ;  but  the  bastard  Waldeck,  in  raising  his  hand 
to  his,  lowered  his  visor  as  if  to  be  prepared  for  whatever 
might  happen. 

The  duke  responded  to  the  triple  salute  by  an  inclina- 
tion of  his  uncovered  head.  Then,  addressing  Viscount 
Waldeck  with  that  gentle  voice  which  made  his  utter- 
ances musical,  — 

"  Monsieur  le  Vicomte  de  Waldeck,"  said  he,  "  you  are 
a  brave  and  honorable  gentleman,  —  one  of  those  whom 
I  like,  and  who  are  liked  by  my  august  master  the  Em- 
peror Charles  V.  I  have  had  for  a  long  time  the  inten- 
tion to  do  something  for  you  ;  within  the  last  quarter  of 
an  hour  an  opportunity  has  offered  of  which  I  have  has- 
tened to  take  advantage.  I  have  but  a  moment  ago  re- 
ceived news  that  a  company  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
lancers  which  has  been  raised  by  my  orders  in  the  name 
of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor,  upon  the  left  bank  of  the 
Rhine,  has  assembled  at  Spire;  I  have  appointed  you 
captain  of  this  company." 

"  Monseigneur  — "  stammered  the  young  man  in 
amazement,  and  blushing  with  pleasure. 

"  Here  is  your  commission,  signed  by  me  and  stamped 
with  the  seal  of  the  Empire,"  continued  the  duke,  draw- 
ing from  the  folds  of  his  dress  a  parchment,  which  he 
presented  to  the  viscount ;  "  take  it,  and  set  out  in- 
stantly, without  a  moment's  delay.  We  shall  probably 
take  the  field  again,  and  I  shall  have  need  of  you  and 
your  men.  Go,  Monsieur  le  Vicomte  de  Waldeck  ;  prove 
yourself  worthy  of  this  favor  which  is  shown  you,  and 
may  God  protect  you  !  " 

The  favor  was  indeed  a  great  one  ;  and  the  young 
man,  obeying  without  a  word  the  order  to  set  out  at  once, 
immediately  took  leave  of  his  father  and  brother,  and 
turning  to  Emmanuel,  "  Monseigneur,"  he  said,  "  you  are 


THE  JUSTICIAKY.  65 

indeed  the  '  Justiciary,'  as  you  are  called,  punishing  evil- 
doers, and  rewarding  those  who  are  worthy  of  praise. 
You  have  placed  confidence  in  me ;  I  will  prove  myself 
worthy  of  it.  Adieu,  Monseigneur."  And  putting  his 
horse  to  a  gallop,  the  young  man  disappeared  round  the 
corner  of  the  forest. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  watched  him  until  he  was  entirely 
lost  to  view.  Then  turning  round  and  fixing  a  stern  look 
upon  Count  Waldeck,  "And  now,  it  is  your  turn,  Mon- 
sieur le  Comte  !  "  he  said. 

"  Monseigneur,"  interrupted  the  count,  "  in  the  first 
place,  let  me  thank  you  for  the  kindness  you  have  shown 
my  son." 

"  The  kindness  I  have  shown  the  Yicomte  de  Wal- 
deck," replied  Emmanuel,  coldly,  "  deserves  no  thanks, 
since  it  is  simply  a  recognition  of  his  worth.  You  have 
heard  what  he  said,  however,  —  that  I  am  a  justiciary, 
punishing  evil-doers  and  rewarding  those  who  are  worthy 
of  praise.  Deliver  up  your  sword,  Monsieur  le  Comte  !  " 

The  count  started,  and  replied  in  atone  which  expressed 
no  readiness  to  obey  the  order  he  had  just  received,  "I 
deliver  up  my  sword  !  —  and  why  1 " 

"  You  know  of  my  order  against  pillage  and  marauding, 
under  penalty  of  the  whipping-post  and  the  gallows  for  sol- 
diers, and  of  arrest  or  imprisonment  for  officers.  You  have 
violated  my  order  in  entering  by  force,  in  spite  of  the 
remonstrances  of  your  elder  son,  the  Chateau  du  Parcq, 
and  in  stealing  the  money,  jewels,  and  plate  of  the  occu- 
pants. You  are  a  marauder  and  a  pillager ;  deliver  up 
your  sword,  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Waldeck  !  " 

Count  Waldeck  turned  pale ;  but  as  we  have  said,  it 
was  difficult  for  a  stranger  to  conjecture,  from  the  tone  of 
Emmanuel  Philibert's  voice,  what  dangers  were  threat- 
ened by  his  sense  of  justice  or  his  anger. 
VOL.  i.  — 5 


66  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"My  sword,  Monseigneur  ] "  said  Waldeck.  "Oh, 
doubtless  I  have  committed  some  other  offeiice.  A  gen- 
tleman does  not  deliver  up  his  sword  for  so  slight  a 
thing  ! "  And  he  tried  to  laugh  disdainfully. 

"  Yes,  Monsieur,"  replied  Emmanuel,  —  "  yes,  you  have 
committed  another  offence,  but  for  the  honor  of  the  Ger- 
man nobility  I  was  unwilling  to  speak  of  it.  Do  you 
wish  me  to  speak  1  Well,  listen  then.  When  you  had 
stolen  the  money,  jewels,  and  plate,  you  were  not  satis- 
tied  ;  you  had  the  mistress  of  the  house  bound  to  the 
foot  of  her  bed,  and  you  said  to  her,  '  If  within  two  hours 
you  have  not  paid  into  our  hands  the  sum  of  two  hun- 
dred rose-crowns,  I  will  set  fire  to  your  chateau  j '  You 
said  that,  and  at  the  end  of  two  hours,  as  the  poor  wo- 
man, having  given  you  her  last  farthing,  found  it  impos- 
sible to  give  you  the  two  hundred  crowns  demanded,  in 
spite  of  the  entreaties  of  your  elder  sou,  you  set  fire  to  the 
chateau,  —  beginning  with  the  farm-house,  so  that  the 
unfortunate  victim  might  have  time  for  reflection  before 
the  flames  reached  the  main  building.  And  you  cannot 
deny  it,  for  the  flame  and  smoke  can  be  seen  from  here. 
You  are  an  incendiary  ;  deliver  up  your  sword,  Monsieur 
le  Comte." 

The  count  ground  his  teeth,  for  he  was  beginning  to 
understand  what  terrible  resolution  was  hidden  under  the 
calm  but  stern  demeanor  of  the  duke. 

"  Since  you  are  so  well  informed  as  to  the  beginning  of 
the  affair,  your  intelligence  of  the  end  also  is  doubtless 
not  less  correct  1 " 

"You  are  right,  Monsieur,  I  know  everything;  but  I 
wished  to  spare  you  the  rope  which  you  deserve." 

"  Monseigneur !  "  exclaimed  Waldeck,  in  a  threatening 
tone. 

"  Silence,  Monsieur,"  said  Emmanuel  Philibert ;  "  have 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  67 

respect  for  your  accuser,  and  tremble  before  your  judge  ! 
The  end  ?  I  will  tell  you  what  it  was.  At  sight  of  the 
flames  leaping  into  the  air,  your  bastard,  who  had  pos- 
session of  the  key  of  the  chamber  in  which  the  prisoner 
was  bound,  entered  that  chamber.  The  unfortunate  wo- 
man had  uttered  no  cries  when  she  saw  the  flames  com- 
ing nearer ;  that  meant  only  death.  She  did  cry  out 
when  she  saw  your  bastard  come  toward  her  and  seize  her 
in  his  arms,  for  that  meant  dishonor !  The  Vicomte  de 
Waldeck  heard  these  cries  and  ran  to  her  aid.  He  called 
upon  his  brother  to  release  the  woman  he  was  insulting ; 
but  the  latter,  in  answer  to  this  appeal  to  his  honor, 
threw  his  prisoner,  bound  as  she  was,  upon  the  bed  and 
drew  his  sword.  The  Vicomte  de  Waldeck  drew  his  also, 
resolved  to  save  this  woman  even  at  the  peril  of  his  life. 
The  two  brothers  fought  desperately,  since  they  had  for 
a  long  time  hated  each  other.  While  this  struggle  was 
going  on,  you,  Monsieur,  entered,  and  thinking  that  your 
sons  were  fighting  for  the  possession  of  this  woman,  you 
said,  '  The  prettiest  woman  in  the  world  is  not  worth  one 
drop  of  the  blood  from  the  veins  of  a  soldier.  Put  down 
your  weapons,  boys  !  I  will  settle  your  affair.'  Then  at 
the  sound  of  your  voice,  the  two  brothers  lowered  their 
swords ;  you  stepped  between  them ;  both  watched  you, 
to  see  what  you  were  about  to  do.  You  went  up  to  the 
woman  who  had  been  bound  and  thrown  upon  the  bed, 
and  before  either  of  your  sons  had  time  to  prevent  this 
imfamous  deed,  you  drew  your  dagger  and  plunged  it  into 
her  breast.  Do  not  tell  me  that  this  thing  did  not  take 
place ;  do  not  tell  me  that  it  is  not  true  ;  your  dagger  is 
still  wet  and  your  hands  are  still  bloody.  You  are  an 
assassin ;  deliver  up  your  sword,  Comte  de  Waldeck  !  " 

"That  is  easy  to  say,  Monseigneur,"  replied  the  count; 
"  but  a  Waldeck  would  not  deliver  his  sword  to  you,  princa 


68  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

crowned  or  uncrowned,  whichever  you  may  be,  if  he 
were  alone  against  seven  of  you ;  much  more  will  he  re- 
fuse when  he  has  his  son  on  his  right  and  forty  soldiers 
at  his  back." 

"  Then,"  said  Emmanuel,  with  a  slight  change  in  the 
tone  of  his  voice,  "  if  you  will  not  hand  ine  your  sword 
voluntarily,  I  must  take  it  from  you  by  force."  And 
with  one  bound  of  his  horse  he  was  at  Count  "Waldeck's 
side. 

The  latter,  who  was  crowded  so  close  that  he  had  no 
room  to  draw  his  sword,  put  his  hand  to  his  holsters ;  but 
before  he  had  time  to  unbutton  them,  Emmanuel  Phili- 
bert  had  plunged  his  hand  into  his  own,  already  open, 
and  had  armed  himself  with  pistol  ready  cocked.  This 
movement  was  so  quick  that  neither  Waldeck's  bastard, 
the  squire,  nor  the  duke's  page  could  prevent  it.  Em- 
manuel, with  a  hand  as  calm  and  sure  as  that  of  justice, 
fired  the  pistol  close  to  the  head  of  the  count,  burning  his 
face  with  the  powder  and  penetrating  his  brains  with  the 
bullet. 

The  count  had  scarcely  time  to  utter  a  cry  ;  he  threw 
up  his  arms,  fell  slowly  backward  from  his  saddle  like  an 
athlete  whom  an  invisible  wrestler  doubles  up  backward, 
let  go  the  stirrup  with  his  left  foot,  then  with  his  right 
foot,  and  finally  rolled  over  upon  the  ground.  The  jus- 
ticiary had  administered  justice ;  the  count  had  died 
instantly. 

During  the  whole  time  occupied  by  this  scene  Wal- 
deck's bastard,  completely  covered  with  his  coat  of  mail, 
had  remained  erect  and  motionless  as  an  equestrian 
statue ;  but  when  he  heard  the  pistol-shot  and  saw  his 
father  fall,  he  gave  a  cry  of  rage  which  burst  with  a  grat- 
ing sound  through  the  visor  of  his  helmet.  Then  ad- 
dressing the  astonished  and  terrified  soldiers,  "  Help, 


THE  JUSTICIARY.  69 

comrades  !  "  he  cried  in  German  ;  "  this  man  is  not  our 
countryman.  Death  !  death  to  the  Duke  Emmanuel ! " 

But  the  soldiers  answered  by  shaking  their  heads  in 
token  of  refusal. 

"  Ah  ! "  cried  the  young  man,  with  increasing  violence, 
"  you  do  not  listen  to  me  !  You  refuse  to  avenge  him  who 
loved  you  as  his  children,  who  loaded  you  with  money, 
who  gorged  you  with  booty !  Well,  then  I  will  be 
the  one  to  avenge  him,  since  you  are  iugrates  and 
cowards  ! "  And  drawing  his  sword  he  was  about  to 
rush  upon  the  duke  ;  but  two  men  leaped  to  the  horse's 
head,  seizing  hold  of  the  bit,  one  on  each  side,  while  a 
third  encircled  him  with  his  arms. 

The  young  man  struggled  furiously,  heaping  abuse 
upon  those  who  held  him  fast.  The  duke  looked  on  with 
a  degree  of  pity ;  he  understood  the  despair  of  a  son  who 
has  just  seen  a  father  fall  dead  at  his  feet. 

"Your  Highness,"  said  the  troopers,  "what  do  you 
wish  to  have  done  with  this  man  1 " 

"Release  him,"  said  the  duke.  "He  has  threatened 
me,  and  if  I  should  have  him  taken  prisoner,  he  would 
think  that  I  am  afraid." 

The  troopers  took  the  sword  from  the  bastard's  hands 
and  let  him  go.  With  a  single  bound  of  his  horse  the 
young  man  cleared  the  space  which  separated  him  from 
Emmanuel  Philibert.  The  latter  awaited  him  with  his 
hand  upon  the  stock  of  his  second  pistol. 

"  Emmanuel  Philibert,  Duke  of  Savoy,  Prince  of  Pied- 
mont," cried  Waldeck's  bastard,  stretching  out  his  hand 
to  him  threateningly,  "  understand  that  from  this  day 
forth  I  hate  you  with  a  mortal  hatred.  Emmanuel  Phil- 
ibert, you  have  killed  my  father  !  "  ( He  lowered  the 
visor  of  his  helmet. )  "  Observe  carefully  my  face ;  for 
whenever  you  shall  see  it,  whether  at  night  or  in  the 


70  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

daytime,  whether  at  a  fete  or  in  combat,  woe,  woe  to 
you,  Emmanuel  Philibert !  "  And  striking  the  spurs 
into  his  horse,  he  started  off  at  full  gallop,  shaking  his 
hand  as  if  to  hurl  a  parting  malediction  upon  the  duke, 
and  shouting  curses  as  he  went. 

"  Villain  !  "  exclaimed  Emmanuel's  squire,  spurring  on 
his  horse  in  pursuit. 

But  the  duke,  with  an  imperative  wave  of  the  hand, 
said,  "Not  a  step  farther,  Scianca-Ferro;  I  forbid  it." 
Then  turning  to  his  page,  who,  pale  as  death,  looked  as  if 
he  would  fall  from  the  saddle,  "  What  is  it,  Leone  1 "  he 
said,  drawing  near  and  taking  his  hand.  "  Why,  any 
one  who  saw  you  so  pale  and  trembling  would  take  you 
for  a  woman." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Duke,"  murmured  the  page,  "  assure 
me  that  you  are  not  wounded,  or  I  shall  die  ! " 

"  My  child,"  said  the  duke,  "  am  I  not  in  God's 
hands  1 "  Then,  addressing  the  troopers,  "  My  friends," 
he  said,  pointing  to  the  dead  body  of  Count  Waldeck, 
"  see  that  this  man  has  Christian  burial,  and  let  this 
example  of  my  administration  of  justice  prove  to  you 
that  I  am  no  respecter  of  persons." 

And  with  a  sign  to  Scianca-Ferro  and  Leone  to  follow 
him,  he  retraced  his  steps  toward  the  camp,  his  face  bear- 
ing no  mark  of  the  terrible  scene  in  which  he  had  just 
been  an  actor,  except  that  it  wore  a  more  thoughtful 
expression  than  usual. 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  71 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HISTORY   AND    ROMANCE. 

WHILE  the  adventurers,  unseen  witnesses  of  the  catas- 
trophe we  have  just  described,  with  regretful  backward 
glances  at  the  smoking  ruins  of  the  Chateau  du  Parcq 
are  returning  to  their  cavern  to  put  the  final  touches  to 
their  articles  of  partnership,  —  useless  for  the  present,  to 
be  sure,  but  which  cannot  fail  to  be,  in  time  to  come, 
the  source  of  great  advantage  to  the  new  association  ; 
while  the  soldiers,  in  obedience  to  the  command,  or  rather 
the  request,  of  Emmanuel  to  provide  for  their  late  chief 
Christian  burial,  are  on  their  way  to  dig  in  a  corner  of 
the  cemetery  of  Hesdin  a  grave  for  him  who,  having  re- 
ceived on  earth  punishment  for  his  crime,  rests  now  in 
the  hope  of  divine  mercy  ;  while  Emmanuel  Philibert,  with 
his  squire  Scianca-Ferro  and  his  page  Leone,  is  riding 
back  to  his  tent ;  abandoning  the  prologue,  scenery,  and 
secondary  characters  of  our  drama,  for  its  real  action  and 
its  leading  actors,  who  have  at  last  made  their  appearance, 
we  will  undertake  — that  we  may  give  the  reader  a  fuller 
knowledge  of  their  character,  and  of  their  situation,  moral 
and  political  —  an  excursion,  at  once  historic  for  some 
and  romantic  for  others,  into  the  domain  of  the  past,  the 
magnificent  realm  of  the  poet  and  the  historian,  of  which 
no  revolution  can  deprive  them. 

Emmanuel  Philibert,  the  third  son  of  Charles  III., 
called  "  the  Good,"  and  Beatrice  of  Portugal,  was  born  at 
the  Chateau  de  Chambery  on  the  8th  of  July,  1528. 


72  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

These  two  names  Emmanuel  and  Philibert  were  be- 
stowed on  him,  —  the  former  out  of  respect  to  his  mater- 
nal ancestor  Emmanuel,  King  of  Portugal,  and  the  latter 
in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  made  by  his  father  to  Saint  Phili- 
bert de  To  urn  us. 

At  the  time  of  his  birth,  which  took  place  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  he  was  so  feeble  that  his  respira- 
tion depended  on  the  breathing  of  air  into  his  lungs  "by 
one  of  his  mother's  women  ;  and  until  the  age  of  three 
years  he  could  neither  hold  his  head  erect  nor  stand 
alone.  So  when  the  horoscope  —  which  at  that  time  was 
cast  at  the  birth  of  every  prince's  son  —  declared  that  the 
prince  who  had  just  been  born  would  be  a  great  warrior, 
and  would  bring  to  the  house  of  Savoy  glory  of  a  lustre 
superior  to  that  of  any  which  had  been  imparted  to  it, 
either  by  Pierre,  surnamed  "Le  Petit  Charlemagne,"  by 
Amadeus  V.,  called  "  the  Great,"  or  by  Amadeus  VI., 
commonly  called  "the  Green  Count,"  —  his  mother  could 
not  restrain  her  tears,  and  his  father,  a  pious  and  gentle 
prince,  said,  with  a  shake  of  his  head  and  in  a  tone  ex- 
pressive of  doubt,  to  the  '"mathematician  who  announced 
to  him  this  prediction,  "May  God  hear  you,  my  friend !  " 

Emmanuel  Philibert  was  the  nephew  of  Charles  V. 
through  his  mother,  Beatrice  of  Portugal,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  accomplished  princesses  of  her  time.  He 
was  also  cousin  of  Frangois  I.  through  his  aunt,  Louise  of 
Savoy,  under  whose  pillow  Constable  de  Bourbon  pre- 
tended to  have  left  the  cordon  of  the  order  of  Saint- 
Esprit  when  Frangois  I.  demanded  it  of  him. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  had  another  aunt,  —  the  gifted 
Margaret  of  Austria,  who  left  a  collection  of  manuscript 
songs,  still  to  be  found  in  the  national  library  of  France, 
and  who,  overtaken  by  a  storm  on  her  way  to  Spain  to 
marry  the  infante,  son  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  after 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  73 

previous  betrothals  to  the  dauphin  of  France  and  the  king 
of  England,  thinking  that  she  was  about  to  die,  composed 
for  herself  this  curious  epitaph,  — 

"  Weep,  Loves,  weep  !  —  fair  Margot  is  dead  ; 
Who  was  three  times  betrothed,  yet  never  was  wed. " 

Emmanuel  Philibert  was,  as  we  have  said,  so  feeble 
that  in  spite  of  the  astrologer's  prediction  that  he  would 
become  a  mighty  warrior,  his  father  destined  him  for  the 
Church.  So,  at  the  age  of  three  years,  he  was  sent  to 
Bologna  to  kiss  the  feet  of  Pope  Clement  VII.,  who  had 
just  crowned  his  uncle  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  at  whose 
request  the  young  prince  obtained  from  the  pope  the 
promise  of  a  cardinalship.  This  was  the  origin  of  the 
epithet  "  Cardinalin  "  which  was  given  him  in  childhood, 
very  much  to  his  annoyance.  Why  should  it  annoy 
a  child  to  be  called  by  this  name1?  We  will  state  the 
reason. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  woman,  or,  let  us  say, 
that  intimate  friend  of  the  Duchess  of  Savoy,  who  attend- 
ing her  in  her  sickness  had  kept  alive  with  her  breath  the 
almost  dying  little  Emmanuel  Philibert.  Six  months 
before,  she  herself  had  given  birth  to  a  son  who  had  come 
into  the  world  as  strong  and  vigorous  as  the  son  of  the 
duchess  was  feeble  and  delicate. 

Now,  the  duchess,  considering  that  her  friend  had 
saved  the  child's  life,  said  to  her,  "  My  dear  Lucrezia,  I 
give  this  child  to  you,  for  he  is  now  as  much  yours  as 
mine  ;  take  him,  nourish  him  with  your  milk  as  you  have 
nourished  him  with  your  breath,  and  I  shall  owe  you 
more  than  he  himself;  he  will  owe  to  you  only  his  life, 
while  I  shall  owe  to  you  my  child  !  " 

Lucrezia  received  as  a  sacred  charge  the  child  to  whom 
she  was  to  be  foster-mother.  Nevertheless,  she  feared 


74  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

that  it  would  be  at  the  expense  of  her  own  little  Rinaldo 
that  the  heir  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy  would  gain  health 
and  strength,  since  whatever  portion  of  the  nourishment 
would  be  required  to  revive  the  little  Emmanuel,  by  just 
so  much  would  his  foster-brother's  share  be  lessened. 

But  Rinaldo  at  six  months  was  as  strong  as  many  an- 
other child  would  have  been  at  twelve  months  of  age. 
Besides,  Nature  has  its  miracles,  and  the  fount  of  mater- 
nal milk  was  never  for  a  moment  exhausted,  although  the 
two  children  drew  their  life  from  the  same  breasts.  It 
gave  pleasure  to  the  duchess  to  see,  hanging  from  the 
same  living  stem,  her  own  child  so  delicate  and  the  other 
so  vigorous. 

It  seemed,  too,  as  if  the  little  Rinaldo  understood  this 
weakness  and  had  compassion  for  it.  Often  the  capri- 
cious ducal  infant  wanted  the  breast  at  which  the  other 
infant  was  nursing ;  and  the  latter,  its  little  face  all 
smiles  and  its  lips  running  over  with  milk,  would  yield 
»-  its  place  to  the  exacting  nursling. 

The  two  children  grew  up  thus  together  on  Lucrezia's 
lap.  At  the  age  of  three  years  Rinaldo  appeared  like  a 
boy  of  five ;  at  the  age  of  three  years,  as  we  have  said, 
Emmanuel  Philibert  could  scarcely  walk,  and  only  with 
effort  could  he  lift  his  head  from  its  drooping  position 
on  his  breast.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  was  sent  to 
Bologna,  and  that  Pope  Clement  VII.  promised  him  a 
cardinal's  hat. 

It  seemed  as  if  this  promise  brought  good  fortune  to 
Emmanuel,  and  as  if  this  name  of  "  Cardinalin "  pro- 
cured for  him  the  protection  of  God  ;  for  from  this  time 
—  when  he  was  three  years  of  age  —  his  health  went  on 
improving  and  his  body  grew  strong. 

But  the  one  who  in  this  respect  made  wonderful  pro- 
gress was  Rinaldo.  His  strongest  toys  flew  into  pieces 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  75 

under  his  fingers ;  he  could  not  even  touch  anything 
that  did  not  break  ;  the  idea  was  conceived  of  making 
his  playthings  of  steel,  and  he  broke  them  as  if  they 
had  been  china.  So  it  happened  that  the  good  Duke 
Charles  III.,  who  liked  to  watch  the  children  at  play, 
gave  Emmanuel's  companion  the  nickname  "  Scianca- 
Ferro,"  which  in  the  Piedmontese  patois  means,  "  Iron- 
Breaker."  The  name  clung  to  him. 

It  was  very  remarkable  that  Scianca-Ferro  never 
made  use  of  this  miraculous  strength  except  for  the 
protection  of  Emmanuel,  whom  he  adored,  instead  of 
being  jealous  of  him  as  any  other  child  would  have  been. 

The  young  Emmanuel  coveted  extraordinarily  this 
strength  of  his  foster-brother,  and  he  would  gladly  have 
exchanged  his  sobriquet  of  Cardinalin  for  that  of 
Scianca-Ferro.  He  seemed,  however,  to  acquire  vigor 
from  the  continued  association  with  this  lustiness  so 
much  greater  than  his  own.  Scianca-Ferro,  moderating 
his  own  strength  to  that  of  the  young  prince,  wrestled 
with  him,  ran  races  with  him,  and  sometimes,  for  fear  of 
discouraging  him,  would  let  himself  be  thrown  in  the 
struggle  or  passed  in  the  race.  All  their  exercises  were 
practised  together,  —  horseback-riding,  swimming,  and 
fencing.  In  everything  Scianca-Ferro  was  for  the  pres- 
ent superior;  but  it  was  understood  that  it  was  only  a 
matter  of  time,  and  that  although  somewhat  backward 
for  the  time  being,  Emmanuel  had  not  said  his  last 
word. 

The  two  children  were  always  together  and  loved  each 
other  like  brothers.  They  were  as  jealous  with  regard  to 
each  other,  as  a  mistress  with  her  lover;  but  the  time 
was  approaching  when  a  third  companion  whom  they 
would  adopt  with  equal  love  would  join  in  their  sports. 

One  day  when  the  court  of  Duke  Charles  III.  was  at 


76  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Vercelli,  on  account  of  disturbances  which  had  broken 
out  at  Milan,  the  two  young  men  rode  out  with  their 
riding-master.  They  proceeded  along  the  left  bank  of 
the  Sesia,  continued  on  through  Xovare,  and  went  nearly 
to  the  river  Tessin.  The  young  duke  was  riding  in 
advance,  when  suddenly  a  bull  confined  in  a  neighboring 
field  began  plunging  and  breaking  down  the  fences  which 
enclosed  the  pasture,  and  frightened,  the  prince's  horse, 
which  flew  over  the  meadows,  clearing  streams,  thickets, 
and  hedges  as  he  went.  Emmanuel  was  an  admirable 
horseman,  and  there  was  nothing  to  fear  on  that  score  ; 
nevertheless  Sclauca-Ferro  started  in  pursuit,  taking  the 
same  route  as  his  friend,  and  like  him  leaping  over 
every  obstacle  in  his  way.  The  riding-master,  more 
cautious,  followed  a  winding  road  which  would  lead  to 
the  point  in  the  direction  of  which  the  two  young  men 
were  riding. 

After  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  frantic  pursuit,  Scianca- 
Ferro,  not  seeing  Emmanuel,  and  fearing  that  he  had 
met  with  some  accident,  shouted  with  all  his  might. 
He  called  twice  without  receiving  any  answer ;  hut  at 
last  he  thought  he  heard  the  prince's  voice  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  village  of  Oleggio.  He  turned  his  horse,  and 
soon,  guided  by  Emmanuel's  voice,  found  the  latter  by 
the  bank  of  a  stream  which  flows  into  the  Tessin. 

At  his  feet  lay  the  body  of  a  dead  woman,  and  in  his 
arms  a  little  boy  from  four  to  five  years  of  age,  who 
also  seemed  to  be  dying. 

The  horse,  which  had  become  quiet,  was  browsing  at 
his  ease  upon  the  young  shoots  of  trees,  while  his  mas- 
ter was  trying  to  restore  the  child  to  consciousness. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done  for  the  woman ;  she  was 
already  dead.  She  appeared  to  have  succumbed  to 
fatigue,  misery,  and  hunger.  The  child,  who  had  doubt- 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  77 

less  shared  the  fatigues  and  misery  of  its  mother, 
seemed  to  be  dying  of  starvation. 

The  village  of  Oleggio  was  only  a  mile  distant.  Scianca- 
Ferro  put  his  horse  to  a  gallop,  and  disappeared  in  the 
direction  of  the  village.  Emmanuel  would  have  gone 
himself  instead  of  sending  his  brother,  but  he  had  the 
child  in  his  arms,  and  perceiving  that  the  life  which 
had  almost  departed  was  returning  to  the  child,  was 
unwilling  to  leave  him. 

The  poor  little  fellow  had  led  him  to  the  side  of  the 
dead  woman,  and  had  said  to  him  in  the  pathetic  tone 
of  childhood,  ignorant  of  the  extent  of  its  misfortunes, 
"  Wake  Mamma  !  Wake  Mamma  ! " 

Emmanuel  wept.  What  could  he  do,  mere  child  him- 
self, looking  for  the  first  time  on  death1?  He  had  only 
his  tears  :  those  he  gave. 

Scianca-Ferro  returned  at  last,  bringing  bread  and  a 
flask  of  muscat  wine.  They  tried  to  pour  a  few  drops  of 
wine  into  the  mother's  mouth,  —  a  vain  attempt,  for  she 
was  unquestionably  dead.  They  then  turned  their  at- 
tention to  the  child,  who,  although  crying  because  his 
mother  would  not  wake  up,  ate  and  drank,  and  was 
somewhat  revived. 

Just  then  the  peasants  from  the  village  whom  Scianca- 
Ferro  had  informed  of  the  affair  came  up,  together  with 
the  riding-master,  whom  they  had  met  quite  terrified  at 
the  loss  of  his  two  pupils,  and  had  brought  back  with 
them  to  the  place  indicated  by  Scianca-Ferro.  They 
knew,  therefore,  that  it  was  the  young  Prince  of  Savoy 
who  had  sent  for  them ;  and  as  Duke  Charles  was  adored 
by  his  subjects,  they  offered  immediately  to  do  anything 
for  the  little  orphan  and  its  dead  mother  that  Emmanuel 
might  choose  to  ask. 

Emmanuel  selected  from  among  the  women  one  who 


78  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

appeared  kind  and  sensible  ;  he  gave  her  all  the  money 
that  he  and  Scianca-Ferro  had  with  them,  took  down  in 
writing  the  woman's  name,  and  begged  her  to  attend  to 
the  burial  of  the  mother  and  provide  for  the  first  needs 
of  the  child. 

Then,  as  it  was  growing  late,  the  riding-master  insisted 
that  his  pupils  should  return  to  Vercelli.  The  little  orphan 
wept ;  he  wished  to  keep  with  him  his  good  friend  Emman- 
uel, —  whose  name  he  knew,  but  of  whose  rank  he  was 
ignorant.  Emmanuel  promised  to  return  the  next  day, 
which  somewhat  calmed  the  child's  grief;  but  after  he 
was  taken  away  from  Emmanuel  he  kept  his  arms  ex- 
tended toward  this  savior  whom  chance  had  sent  him. 

In  fact,  if  the  help  sent  to  the  poor  child  by  chance,  or 
rather  by  Providence,  had  been  delayed  even  only  two 
hours,  he  would  have  died  by  the  side  of  his  mother. 

Although  the  riding-master  strove  with  all  diligence  to 
hasten  the  return,  his  two  pupils  did  not  reach  the 
chateau  of  Vercelli  until  evening.  Much  anxiety  had 
been  felt  on  their  account,  and  messengers  had  been  sent 
out  in  all  directions  to  seek  them.  When  the  duchess 
began  to  upbraid  them,  Emmanuel  related  his  story  to 
her,  —  his  gentle  voice  taking  a  tone  of  sadness  from  the 
sorrowful  event.  When  he  had  finished  his  narration 
the  duchess  was  no  longer  disposed  to  find  fault,  but 
on  the  contrary  commended  their  conduct.  Fully  shar- 
ing her  son's  interest  in  the  little  orphan,  she  declared 
that  on  the  day  after  the  morrow  —  that  is  to  say,  imme- 
diately after  the  funeral  of  the  child's  mother  —  she 
would  go  herself  to  visit  him;  and  in  fact,  on  the  day 
named  she  set  out  in  a  litter  for  the  village  of  Oleggio, 
the  two  young  men  attending  her  on  horseback. 

As  they  approached  the  village,  Emmanuel  could  not 
restrain  his  impatience ;  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  79 

rode  on  in  advance,  that  he  might  see  a  little  sooner  the 
orphan  child.  His  arrival  gave  great  joy  to  the  poor 
child.  It  had  been  necessary  to  tear  him  from  his 
mother's  body  ;  he  would  not  believe  that  she  was  dead, 
and  cried  out  repeatedly :  "  Don't  put  her  in  the  ground ; 
don't  put  her  in  the  ground !  I  tell  you  she  will  wake 
up."  From  the  moment  when  his  mother  was  taken 
away  from  the  house  it  had  been  necessary  to  keep  him 
confined,  —  he  was  so  eager  to  go  and  rejoin  her. 

The  sight  of  his  savior  was  comforting  to  him.  Em- 
manuel told  him  that  his  mother,  the  duchess,  had  wished 
to  see  him  and  would  arrive  in  a  few  moments. 

"  Oh,  have  you  your  mamma  1 "  said  the  little  orphan. 
"  Oh,  I  will  pray  the  good  God  that  she  may  not  sleep 
never  to  wake  again !  " 

To  the  peasants  the  news  that  Emmanuel  gave  them, 
that  the  duchess  was  coming  to  visit  their  house,  was  of 
the  greatest  importance.  They  hastened  forth  to  meet 
her ;  and  as  in  going  through  the  streets  they  told  where 
they  were  going  and  whom  they  expected  to  meet,  others 
joined  them,  until  finally  the  whole  village  had  turned 
out. 

Finally  the  cortege  arrived,  preceded  by  Scianca-Ferro, 
who  had  gallantly  remained  with  the  duchess  as  her  es- 
cort. Emmanuel  presented  his  protege*  to  his  mother. 
The  duchess  asked  the  child  a  question  which  had  not 
occurred  to  Emmanuel, — that  is  to  say,  she  asked  him 
his  name  and  that  of  his  mother. 

The  child  replied  that  his  name  was  Leone,  and  that 
his  mother  had  been  called  Leona  ;  but  he  would  give  no 
further  particulars,  answering  to  every  question  put  to  him, 
"I  don't  know."  And  yet,  strangely  enough,  one  in- 
stinctively felt  that  this  was  a  pretended  ignorance,  un- 
der which  was  concealed  some  secret.  His  mother, 


80  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

doubtless,  before  dying,  had  requested  him  to  answer  aD 
questions  in  that  way ;  and  indeed,  nothing  less  than  the 
last  request  of  a  dying  mother  could  have  made  such  an 
impression  upon  a  child  of  four  years. 

Then  the  duchess  examined  the  orphan  with  a  woman's 
curiosity.  Although  dressed  in  coarse  garments,  his  hands 
were  soft  and  white,  and  had  evidently  been  cared  for 
by  a  refined  and  lady-like  mother.  Also  his  manner  of 
speaking  was  that  of  the  aristocracy,  and  at  four  years  of 
age  he  spoke  French  and  Italian  equally  well. 

The  duchess  asked  to  see  the  mother's  clothes,  and  they 
were  brought  to  her ;  they  were  those  of  a  country-wo- 
man. But  the  women  who  had  undressed  her  said  that 
they  had  never  seen  whiter  skin,  more  delicate  hands, 
nor  smaller  and  more  elegant  feet.  One  article  of  dress 
also  betrayed  to  what  class  of  society  the  poor  woman 
had  belonged  ;  with  her  peasant's  dress,  her  cotton  skirt, 
her  coarse  woollen  waist,  and  her  heavy  shoes,  she  wore 
silk  stockings.  Evidently  she  had  taken  flight  in  disguise, 
and  of  the  clothes  she  had  discarded  before  setting  out, 
she  had  kept  only  the  silk  stockings  which  had  betrayed 
her  after  death. 

The  duchess  returned  to  the  little  Leone,  and  questioned 
him  on  all  these  points  ;  but  his  answer  was  always,  "  I 
don't  know."  The  duchess  could  elicit  nothing  else  ;  so, 
adding  her  own  instructions  to  those  of  Emmanuel,  she 
again  committed  the  poor  orphan  to  the  care  of  the  kind 
country-people  who  had  until  then  attended  to  his  wants, 
gave  them  a  sum  of  money  double  that  which  they  had 
already  received,  and  directed  them  to  make  inquiries 
about  the  mother  and  child,  promising  them  a  liberal 
reward  for  any  intelligence  they  might  bring  her  con- 
cerning them. 

The  little  Leone  wanted  to  go  with  Emmanuel ;  and 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  81 

the  latter  was  very  much  inclined  to  insist  on  securing 
his  mother's  permission  to  take  the  child  away  with, 
him,  so  much  did  he  pity  him.  But  he  assured  Leone 
that  he  would  come  to  see  him  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
the  duchess  herself  promised  a  second  visit. 

Unfortunately  at  about  this  time  events  took  place 
which  prevented  the  duchess  from  keeping  her  word. 
For  the  third  time  Francois  I.  declared  war  against 
Charles  V.  on  the  ground  that  he  was  heir  to  the  dnchy 
of  Milan,  through  Valeutina  Visconti,  wife  of  Louis 
d'Orleans,  brother  of  Charles  VI.  In  the  first  war 
Francois  had  been  victorious  at  Marignano  ;  in  the  sec- 
ond, he  had  been  routed  at  Pavia. 

One  would  have  thought  that  after  the  treaty  of  Ma- 
drid, after  the  prison  of  Toledo,  and  especially  after  hav- 
ing taken  his  ofith,  Frar^ois  I.  would  have  renounced  all 
pretension  to  this  unfortunate  duchy,  which  if  it  were 
delivered  up  to  him  would  make  the  King  of  France  a 
vassal  of  the  Empire ;  but  on  the  contrary,  he  only 
awaited  an  opportunity  for  demanding  it  again,  and 
seized  upon  the  first  which  offered. 

The  present  opportunity  was  a  good  one,  as  it  happened  ; 
but  had  it  not  been  he  would  have  embraced  it  with  the 
same  alacrity.  Fran9ois  I.,  it  is  well  known,  was  not 
troubled  by  any  of  those  silly  scruples  which  govern  the 
actions  of  that  race  of  fools  called  honest  men. 

The  opportunity  which  chance  now  threw  in  his  way 
was  this  :  Maria  Francesco  Sforza,  son  of  Lodovico  il 
Moro,  reigned  at  Milan ;  but  he  reigned  as  vassal  of  the 
emperor,  of  whom  he  had  bought  his  duchy,  Dec.  23, 
1529,  for  the  sum  of  four  hundred  thousand  ducats, 
payable  during  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  and  the  further 
sum  of  five  hundred  thousand,  payable  during  the  ten 
years  following ;  as  security  for  these  payments  the  cha- 

VOL.  I.  —  6 


82  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

teaux  of  Milan,  Coruo,  and  Pavia  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  emperor. 

Now  it  happened  about  the  year  1534  that  Fra^ois  I, 
sent  a  Milanese  gentleman,  whose  fortune  he,  Frai^ois  I., 
had  made,  as  ambassador  to  the  court  of  Duke  Sforza. 
This  gentleman's  name  was  Francesco  Maraviglia. 

Having  attained  riches  and  position  at  the  court  of 
France,  it  was  with  both  joy  and  pride  that  Francesco 
Maraviglia  returned  to  his  native  city  surrounded  by  all 
the  pomp  of  an  ambassador.  He  had  taken  with  him  his 
wife  and  his  daughter,  who  was  three  years  old,  but  had 
left  at  Paris  his  son  Odoardo,  who  was  twelve  years  old, 
as  one  of  the  pages  of  King  Fran<jois  I. 

Why  was  this  ambassador  offensive  to  Charles  V.,  and 
why  did  the  latter  order  Duke  Sforza  to  put  him  out  of 
the  way  at  the  first  opportunity  ]  This  we  do  not  know, 
and  cannot  discover  until  the  secret  correspondence  of  the 
emperor  and  the  Duke  of  Milan  is  found,  as  was  that 
of  the  emperor  with  Cosimo  de'  Medici.  But  we  do 
know  that  the  servants  of  Maraviglia  having  got  into  a 
quarrel  with  some  of  the  country  -people,  and  having  had 
the  misfortune  to  kill  two  subjects  of  Duke  Sforza,  the 
latter  had  Maraviglia  arrested  and  imprisoned  in  the 
chateau  of  Milan,  which,  as  we  have  said,  was  still  in 
the  hands  of  the  emperor. 

No  one  ever  knew  certainly  what  became  of  Maraviglia. 
Some  say  that  he  was  poisoned ;  others  that  he  stumbled 
and  fell  into  a  dungeon  of  whose  proximity  he  had  not 
been  forewarned.  But  the  most  probable  version  of  the 
story,  and  that  most  commonly  accepted,  is  that  ne  was 
executed,  or  rather  assassinated,  in  prison.  It  is  very 
certain  that  he  disappeared,  and  that  almost  at  the  same 
time  his  wife  and  daughter  also  vanished  and  were  not 
heard  of  afterward. 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  83 

These  events  had  taken  place  quite  recently,  —  only  a 
few  days  before  Emmanuel's  discovery  of  that  unknown 
child  and  that  dead  woman  on  the  banks  of  a  stream. 
They  were  to  exercise  a  terrible  influence  over  the  destiny 
of  Duke  Charles. 

Francois  I.  grasped  the  opportunity.  It  was  not  the 
lamentations  of  the  son  left  with  him,  demanding  ven- 
geance for  the  murder  of  his  father;  it  was  not  that 
royal  majesty  had  been  outraged  in  the  person  of  an  am- 
bassador ;  it  was  not  that  the  law  of  the  people  had  been 
violated  by  an  assassin,  —  it  was  not  such  considerations 
as  these  that  turned  the  scales  in  favor  of  war ;  no,  it 
was  the  old  leaven  of  vengeance  working  in  the  heart  cf 
the  vanquished  of  Pa  via  and  the  prisoner  of  Toledo. 

A  third  expedition  into  Italy  was  resolved  upon.  The 
moment  was  favorable ;  Charles  V.  was  in  Africa  war- 
ring against  the  famous  Khair-Eddin  surnamed  Barba- 
rossa.  But  in  order  to  accomplish  this  new  invasion,  it 
was  necessary  to  pass  through  Savoy.  Now  Savoy  was 
in  the  possession  of  Charles  le  Bon,  Emmanuel  Philibert's 
father,  uncle  of  Frangois  I.,  brother-in-law  of  Charles  V. 

For  whom  would  Charles  le  Bon  declare  himself? 
Would  it  be  for  his  brother-in-law  or  for  his  nephew  ? 
This  was  an  important  thing  to  know.  It  was  of  course 
doubtful ;  in  all  probability  the  Duke  of  Savoy  would 
ally  himself  with  the  Empire,  and  be  hostile  to  France. 

In  fact,  the  Duke  of  Savoy  had  given  to  Charles  V., 
in  pledge  of  loyalty,  his  elder  son  Louis,  Prince  of  Pied- 
mont ;  he  had  refused  to  receive  from  Frangois  I.  the 
cordon  of  Saint  Michel,  and  an  artillery  company  with 
twelve  thousand  crowns  for  its  support ;  he  had  occupied 
territory  belonging  to  the  marquisate  of  Saluzzo,  a  fief 
of  Dauphine  ;  he  had  refused  homage  to  the  crown  of 
France  for  the  province  of  Faucigny ;  in  correspondence 


84  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

with  the  emperor  he  had  rejoiced  over  the  defeat  at 
Pavia;  and  finally  he  had  lent  money  to  Constable  de 
Bourbon  when  he  passed  through  Savoy  on  his  way  to  be 
killed  by  Benvenuto  Cellini  at  the  siege  of  Rome. 

It  was  necessary,  however,  to  find  out  the  truth  of  the 
matter.  Accordingly,  Fra^ois  I.  sent  Guillaume  Poyet, 
president  of  the  Paris  parliament,  to  Turin.  He  was 
instructed  to  demand  of  Duke  Charles  III.  these  two 
things :  first,  permission  for  the  French  army  to  pass 
through  Savoy  and  Piedmont;  secondly,  the  surrender, 
as  pledges  of  good  faith,  of  Montmeillan,  Veillaue.  Chi- 
vas,  and  Vercelli.  He  was  to  offer  to  Duke  Charles,  in 
exchange,  territory  in  France,  and  the  king's  daughter 
Marguerite  in  marriage  with  Prince  Louis,  elder  brother 
of  Emmanuel  Philibert. 

Charles  III.  appointed  Purpurat,  president  of  Pied- 
mont, to  conduct  the  negotiations  with  Guillaume  Poyet, 
president  of  the  Paris  parliament.  He  was  authorized  to 
grant  permission  for  the  passage  of  French  troops  across 
the  provinces  of  Savoy  and  Piedmont ;  but  as  to  the  sur- 
render of  the  four  places  named,  he  was  to  adopt  at  first 
a  dilatory  policy,  and  should  Poyet  insist,  he  was  to 
answer  with  an  absolute  refusal. 

The  discussion  between  the  two  plenipotentiaries  be- 
came heated ;  so  that,  overcome  hy  Purpurat's  cogent 
arguments,  Poyet  at  last  exclaimed,  — 

"  It  must  be  so,  because  it  is  the  king's  will." 

"  Pardon,"  replied  Purpurat,  "  but  I  find  no  such  law 
among  those  of  Piedmont."  And  rising  from  his  seat,  he 
abandoned  the  future  to  the  omnipotent  will  of  the  King 
of  France,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  Most  High. 

The  negotiations  came  to  an  end  ;  and  one  day  in  the 
month  of  February,  1535,  while  Duke  Charles  was  at  his 
chateau  of  Vercelli,  a  herald  was  introduced  to  his  pres- 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  85 

ence  who,  in  the  name  of  King  FranQois  I.,  declared  war 
against  him. 

The  duke  quietly  listened  to  him,  and  when  he  had 
delivered  his  warlike  message  replied  calmly,  — 

"  My  friend,  I  have  always  rendered  service  to  the  King 
of  France,  and  I  consider  that  the  titles  of  ally,  friend, 
servant,  and  uncle  call  for  measures  altogether  different 
from  this.  I  have  done  what  I  could  to  be  on  good 
terms  with  him  ;  I  have  neglected  no  means  of  showing 
him  how  far  wrong  he  is  in  cherishing  resentment  against 
me.  I  am  well  aware  that  my  strength  is  not  to  be 
compared  with  his ;  but  since  he  cannot  in  any  way  be 
persuaded  to  listen  to  reason,  and  since  he  appears  deter- 
mined to  possess  himself  of  my  States,  say  to  him  that 
he  will  find  me  on  the  frontier,  and  that,  seconded  by  my 
allies  and  friends,  I  hope  to  defend  myself  and  protect 
my  country.  The  king,  my  nephew,  is  acquainted  with 
my  motto  :  He  cannot  fail  whom  God  protects"  And  he 
dismissed  the  herald,  after  giving  him  a  costly  suit  of 
clothes  and  a  pair  of  gloves  filled  with  crowns. 

After  such  a  reply  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  pre- 
pare for  war ;  and  the  first  step  taken  by  Charles  III. 
was  to  place  his  wife  and  child  in  safety  in  the  fortress 
of  Nice.  The  departure  from  Vercelli  for  Nice  was  an- 
nounced to  take  place  almost  immediately. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  thought  the  occasion  opportune 
for  obtaining  from  his  mother  a  favor  which  he  had  till 
then  delayed  asking,  —  namely,  that  Leone  should  be 
withdrawn  from  the  house  of  the  peasants,  where  he  had 
been  left  only  temporarily,  as  was  well  understood,  and 
should  be  made,  like  Scianca-Ferro,  the  young  prince's 
intimate  companion. 

The  duchess,  as  we  have  already  said,  was  a  woman  of 
good  judgment.  All  that  she  had  observed  in  connection 


86  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

with  the  orphan  —  the  delicacy  of  his  features,  the  beauty 
of  his  hands,  the  distinction  of  his  language  —  led  her  to 
believe  that  some  great  mystery  was  hidden  under  the 
coarse  garments  of  the  mother  and  the  child.  She  was, 
too,  a  woman  of  religious  inclinations  ;  she  saw  the  linger 
of  God  in  that  adventure  of  Emmanuel  after  the  accident 
occasioned  by  the  bull,  —  an  accident  that  seemed  to  her 
almost  providential  since  it  led  the  young  prince  to  the 
dead  woman  and  the  dying  child.  She  reflected  that 
when  everything  was  falling  away  from  her  family,  when 
misfortune  threatened  her  house,  when  the  sombre  angel 
of  sorrow  was  pointing  out  to  her  husband,  herself,  and 
her  child  the  mysterious  paths  of  exile,  —  that  this  was 
no  time  to  repulse  the  orphan,  who  grown  to  manhood, 
might  be  to  them  a  strong  support.  She  recalled  the 
messenger  of  God  presenting  himself,  in  the  guise  of  a 
common  traveller,  at  the  threshold  of  the  blind  Tobias, 
to  whom  by  the  hands  of  his  son  he  afterward  restored 
sight  and  happiness ;  and  far  from  offering  any  objection 
to  what  Emmanuel  proposed,  she  readily  acceded  to  his 
request,  almost  before  he  could  declare  it,  and  with  the 
duke's  permission  she  authorized  her  son  to  have  his 
young  protege  brought  to  Vercelli.  From  Yercelli  to 
Nice,  Leone  would  make  the  journey  in  company  with 
the  other  two  children. 

Emmanuel  waited  only  until  the  next  day  to  carry  the 
good  news  to  Leone.  At  daybreak  he  descended  to  the 
stables,  saddled  with  his  own  hands  his  African  pony, 
and  started  for  Oleggio  with  all  speed. 

He  found  Leone  very  sorrowful.  The  poor  orphan  had 
learned  that  his  rich  and  powerful  protectors  had  been 
visited  in  their  turn  by  misfortune.  He  had  heard  that 
the  count  was  to  set  out  for  Nice,  —  that  is  to  say,  for  a 
country  the  very  name  of  which  was  strange  to  him,  — 


HISTORY  AND  ROMANCE.  87 

and  when  Emmanuel  arrived,  excited  by  his  ride  and 
beaming  with  delight,  Leone  was  weeping  as  if  for  the 
second  time  he  had  lost  his  mother. 

It  is  especially  through  their  tears  that  children  see 
the  angels  ;  and  we  do  not  exaggerate  in  saying  that 
Emmanuel  seemed  like  an  angel  when  seen  through  the 
tears  of  Leone. 

In  a  few  words  all  was  told,  explained,  and  understood, 
and  to  tears  succeeded  smiles.  There  is  a  period  in  life 
—  and  it  is  life's  happiest  period  —  when  tears  and  smiles 
are  close  together,  as  night  is  close  to  morning. 

Two  hours  after  Emmanuel's  arrival  came  Scianca- 
Ferro,  with  the  first  squire  of  the  prince  and  two  attend- 
ants, leading  by  the  bridle  the  duchess's  own  horse.  A 
good  sum  of  money  was  left  with  the  peasants  who  for 
six  weeks  had  taken  care  of  Leone.  He  embraced  them 
weeping  again  ;  but  this  time  he  shed  tears  of  joy  as  well 
as  of  regret.  Emmanuel  aided  him  to  mount,  and  lest 
some  accident  should  happen  to  his  dear  protege,  himself 
led  the  horse  that  carried  him. 

Scianca-Ferro,  far  from  being  jealous  of  that  new 
friendship,  galloped  joyously  along,  riding  on  in  advance 
and  returning  again,  leading  the  way  as  if  he  had  been 
an  actual  captain,  and  smiling  with  that  beautiful  smile 
of  childhood  which  reveals  the  heart  while  it  shows  the 
teeth. 

Thus  they  arrived  at  Vercelli.  The  duchess  and  the 
duke  embraced  Leone,  who  became  at  once  a  member  of 
the  family.  On  the  next  day  they  set  out  for  Nice, 
where  they  arrived  without  accident. 


88  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  PAGE. 

IT  is  not  our  intention,  since  the  work  has  been  already 
so  well  done  by  others,  to  enter  into  a  description  of  the 
battles  which  in  this  great  strife  desolated  Italy  dur- 
ing the  first  part  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Our  task  is 
a  much  more  humble  one,  but  at  the  same  time,  it  must 
be  said,  rnoi-e  attractive  to  ourselves  and  more  interesting 
to  our  readers.  Therefore,  in  the  following  story  we 
shall  contemplate  only  the  most  important  events  of  that 
period,  which  stand  forth  in  commanding  prominence,  as 
the  lofty  summits  of  the  Alps  lift  high  above  the  clouds 
their  peaks  covered  by  everlasting  snow. 

Francois  I.  crossed  Savoy  and  Piedmont,  and  over- 
spread Italy  with  his  troops.  For  three  years  the  can- 
non of  the  Empire  and  of  France  kept  up  their  thunder, 
sometimes  in  Provence,  sometimes  in  the  Milanese. 
Beautiful  plains  of  Lombardy  and  Piedmont,  the  angel 
of  death  alone  knows  how  many  corpses  wei'e  required 
to  give  you  your  inexhaustible  fertility  ! 

During  ail  this  time,  under  the  beautiful  sky  of  Nice, 
cloudless  by  day  and  brilliant  by  night,  when  even  the 
insects  are  flying  sparks  of  light,  the  children  grew  up 
under  the  watchful  care  of  the  Princess  Beatrice  and 
under  the  eye  of  God. 

Leone  had  become  an  indispensable  member  of  the 
happy  trinity ;  he  joined  in  all  the  sports,  but  not  in  all 
the  exercises ;  his  little  hands  were  not  suited  to  the  vio- 


THE  SQUIRE   AND  THE  PAGE.  89 

lent  exercises  of  the  drill,  and  his  arms  were  considered 
by  his  masters  too  weak  ever  to  carry  lance  or  shield. 
Leone  was  three  years  younger  than  his  companions,  it 
is  true,  but  there  appeared  to  be  ten  years'  difference 
between  them,  especially  since — doubtless  by  the  grace 
of  the  Lord  who  was  reserving  him  for  great  deeds  — 
Emmanuel  had  taken  to  growing  in  health  and  strength 
as  if  he  had  determined  to  overtake  in  this  respect  his 
foster-brother,  Scianca-Ferro.  The  companions  of  the 
little  duke  fell  very  naturally  into  their  respective  posi- 
tions ;  Scianca-Ferro  became  his  squire,  while  Leone,  less 
ambitious,  was  satisfied  to  be  his  page. 

In  the  mean  time  news  had  come  that  the  eldest  sou  of 
the  duke  had  died  at  Madrid.  This  was  a  source  of 
great  sorrow  for  Duke  Charles  and  the  Duchess  Beatrice. 
God  provided  consolation  for  this  grief,  it  is  true,  —  if  it 
is  possible  for  a  father  and  especially  a  mother  to  be  con- 
soled for  the  death  of  a  child.  Prince  Louis  had  lived 
for  a  long  time  away  from  home,  while,  in  daily  inter- 
course with  the  duke  and  duchess,  Emmanuel  Philibert, 
\vho  every  day  seemed  more  likely  to  justify  the  predic- 
tion of  the  horoscope,  was  growing  beautiful  as  the  lily 
and  strong  as  the  oak. 

Bat  God,  who  doubtless  had  meant  only  to  try  the 
exiles,  soon  smote  them  with  a  blow  much  more  cruel. 
The  Duchess  Beatrice  fell  into  a  decline,  and  in  spite  of 
the  skill  of  the  doctors,  and  in  spite  of  the  care  of  her 
husband,  her  children,  and  her  women,  she  died  on  the 
8th  of  January,  1538. 

The  duke's  grief  was  profound,  but  borne  without  a  mur- 
mur. Emmanuel  was  almost  in  despair.  Fortunately 
the  young  prince  had  the  companionship  of  that  other 
orphan  who  had  known  sorrow.  What  would  he  have 
done  without  this  gentle  friend,  who  did  not  try  to  com- 


90  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

fort  him,  and  who,  instead  of  philosophizing,  was  content 
to  share  his  grief] 

Doubtless  Scianca-Ferro  also  suffered  from  the  death 
of  the  duchess ;  if  he  could  have  restored  her  to  life  by 
challenging  some  terrible  giant  in  his  tower  or  by  beard- 
ing some  fabulous  dragon  in  its  den,  the  paladin  of  eleven 
years  would  have  set  out  at  once  and  without  hesitation 
to  perform  even  at  the  expense  of  his  life  this  exploit 
which  would  bring  joy  and  happiness  to  his  friend  once 
more.  But  this  was  the  limit  of  his  powers  of  consola- 
tion ;  his  vigorous  nature  did  not  give  way  easily  to 
unmanly  tears.  A  wound  might  cause  his  blood  to 
flow,  but  trouble  could  never  draw  tears  from  his  eyes. 
Scianca-Ferro  must  have  dangers  to  contend  against,  and 
not  misfortunes  to  endure. 

What,  then,  did  he  do  while  Emmanuel  Philibert  wept 
with  his  head  bowed  upon  Leone's  shoulder  1  He  sad- 
dled his  horse,  girded  on  his  sword,  slung  his  sledge  to 
his  saddle-bow,  and  wandering  about  over  that  beautiful 
range  of  hills  which  borders  the  Mediterranean,  like  an 
enraged  mastiff  breaking  between  his  teeth  sticks  and 
stones,  imagined  himself  fighting  against  the  heretics 
of  Germany  or  the  Sai'acens  of  Africa,  saw  imaginary 
enemies  in  insensible  and  inanimate  objects,  and  in  default 
of  breastplates  to  pierce  and  helmets  to  cleave,  broke.the 
rocks  with  his  hammer,  and  cleft  the  pines  and  the  young 
oaks  with  his  sword,  seeking  and  finding  alleviation  of 
his  pain  in  the  violent  exercise  so  necessary  to  his  rugged 
organization. 

As  time  passed,  their  grief,  although  still  existing  as 
fond  regret  and  tender  memory,  gradually  disappeared 
from  their  faces ;  instead  of  lamenting  the  absence  here 
below  of  the  wife,  the  mother,  and  the  friend,  they 
turned  their  thoughts  to  the  world  of  spirits. 


THE  SQUIRE   AND  THE   PAGE.  91 

Consolation  is  very  near  the  heart  which  turns  to  God 
And  besides,  time  brought  its  succession  of  events  which 
imposed  on  grief  itself  their  powerful  distractions. 

A  congress  had  just  been  decided  on,  to  take  place  at 
Nice^between  Pope  Paul  III.  (Alessandro  Farnese), 
Fraugois  L,  and  Charles  V.  The  points  under  discussion 
were  to  be  the  expulsion  of  the  Turks  from  Europe,  the 
creation  of  a  duchy  for  Lodovico  Farnese,  and  the  resto- 
ration of  his  States  to  the  Duke  of  Savoy. 

Nice  had  been  chosen  by  the  pope  and  Charles  V.  in 
the  hope  that  in  recognition  of  the  hospitality  of  liis  uncle, 
King  Frangois  I.  would  be  more  readily  induced  t.»  make 
concessions. 

There  was  also  a  reconciliation  to  be  effected  between 
Pope  Paul  III.  and  Charles  V.  Alessandro  Farnese  had 
given  to  his  eldest  son  Lodovico  the  cities  of  Parma  and 
Plaisance,  in  exchange  for  the  principalities  of  Camerino 
and  Nepi,  which  he  had  taken  away  from  him  in  order  to 
give  them  to  his  second  son  Ottavio.  This  inv«  <titure 
had  displeased  Charles  V.,  who,  Maria  Francesco  having 
died  in  1535,  had  refused  the  pope,  whatever  sain  he 
might  offer  for  it,  that  famous  duch^  of  Milan  which  was, 
if  not  the  cause,  at  least  the  pretext  for  this  interminable 
war  between  France  and  the  Empire. 

Certainly  Charles  V.  was  right ;  the  new  Duke  of 
Parma  and  Plaisauce  was  that  infamous  Lodovico  Far- 
nese who  said  that  he  did  not  care  to  be  loved  provided 
he  was  feared,  who  disarmed  noblemen,  horsewhipped 
women,  and  insulted  bishops.  The  popes  of  the  sixteenth 
century  were  not  fortunate  in  their  children ! 

The  object  of  the  congress  of  Nice,  then,  was  not  only 
tu  reconcile  the  Duke  of  Savoy  with  the  King  of  France, 
but  also  to  reconcile  the  pope  with  the  emperor. 

Charles  III.,  however,  rendered  prudent  by  misfortune, 


92  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

did  not  see  without  alarm  his  nephew,  his  brother-in-law, 
and  their  holy  master  established  in  his  last  fortified 
place.  What  assurance  had  he  that  his  dominions  would 
be  restored  to  him,  or  that  the  only  city  left  him  would 
not  be  taken  from  him  ? 

Therefore,  for  greater  security,  he  shut  up  Emmanuel 
Philibert  —  his  last  heir,  as  Nice  was  his  last  city  —  in  the 
fortress  which  commanded  the  place,  with  instructions  to 
the  governor  not  to  open  the  castle  to  any  body  of  sol- 
diers, whether  they  came  in  the  name  of  the  emperor,  in 
the  name  of  King  Fra^ois  I.,  or  in  the  name  of  the  pope. 
Then  he  went  in  person  to  meet  Paul  TIL,  who,  accord- 
ing to  the  programme  agreed  upon,  would  arrive  a  few 
days  before  the  emperor  and  the  King  of  France. 

When  the  pope  was  about  a  league  from  Nice,  the  gov- 
ernor received  a  letter  from  the  duke  ordering  him  to 
prepare  apai'tments  in  the  castle  for  the  pope.  This 
letter  was  brought  by  his  Holiness's  captain  of  the 
guards,  who  at  the  head  of  two  hundred  men  demanded 
admission  to  the  castle  to  render  personal  service  to  his 
master. 

The  duke,  in  his  letter,  had  mentioned  the  pope,  but 
there  was  not  a  word  about  the  captain  and  his  two  hurt 
dred  men.  This  was  embarrassing,  for  the  pope  de- 
manded the  very  thing  which  the  governor  had  been 
forbidden  to  grant. 

The  governor  called  a  council  at  which  Emmanuel 
Philibert  was  present,  although  only  eleven  years  old. 
Doubtless,  it  was  thought  that  his  presence  would  keep 
up  the  courage  of  the  defenders  of  the  chateau. 

While  the  deliberations  were  goiugwm,  the  child  ob- 
served hanging  against  the  wall  the  wooden  model  of  the 
castle  which  was  the  cause  of  this  sudden  disagreement 
between  Charles  III.  and  the  pope.  "  Upon  my  word, 


THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  PAGE.         93 

gentlemen,"  he  said  to  the  counsellors,  who  had  passed  a 
whole  hour  in  discussion  without  arriving  at  any  conclu- 
sion, "  see  how  little  reason  there  is  to  be  disturbed. 
Since  we  have  both  a  wooden  and  a  stone  castle,  let  us 
give  the  wooden  castle  to  the  pope  and  keep  the  one  of 
stone  for  ourselves." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  governor,  "  this  boy  shows  us 
our  duty ;  the  pope  may  have  the  wooden  castle  if  he 
likes,  but  I  swear  to  God  that  while  I  live  he  shall  not 
have  the  castle  built  of  stone  !  " 

The  boy's  answer,  with  that  of  the  governor,  was  re- 
ported to  the  pope,  who  urged  his  demand  no  further,  and 
took  up  his  residence  in  the  convent  of  the  Cordeliers. 
The  emperor  and  the  King  of  France  then  arrived  and 
pitched  their  tents  on  opposite  sides  of  the  city,  the  con- 
vent occupied  by  the  pope  being  in  the  centre. 

The  congress  was  opened,  but  unfortunately  the  results 
were  not  what  had  been  expected.  The  emperor  claimed 
for  his  brother-in-law  the  States  of  Savoy  and  Piedmont, 
w*tflle  Fran9ois  I.  demanded  the  duchy  of  Milan  for  his 
second  son  the  Due  d'Orleans. 

Finally,  the  pope,  who  also  wished  to  procure  a  settle- 
ment for  his  own  son,  demanded  that  a  prince  who  was  a 
relative  neith^^f  Franqois  T.  nor  of  Charles  V.  should 
be  elected  Duke  of  Milan  on  condition  of  receiving  from 
.the  emperor  the  investiture  of  his  duchy,  and  of  paying 
tribute  to  the  Kiuer  r>f  France. 

Each  desired  the  impossible,  since  his  desire  was  in 
exact  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  the  others.  And  as 
they  could  not  come  to  any  definite  settlement  of  the 
questions  at  issue,  they  finally  agreed  upon  a  truce. 

All  the  parties,  indeed,  desired  this  truce,  —  Fran$ois  I., 
that  he  might  have  time  to  renew  his  half-wasted  army, 
and  replenish  his  wholly  exhausted  treasury ;  Charles  V., 


94  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

that  he  might  have  an  opportunity  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
incursions  of  the  Turks  into  his  two  kingdoms  of  Naples 
and  Sicily ;  Paul  III.,  that  he  might  at  least  assure 
himself  of  the  principalities  of  Parma  and  Plaisance  for 
his  son,  since  he  could  not  procure  for  him  the  duchy  of 
Milan. 

A  truce  of  ten  years  was  concluded  ;  the  term  of  years 
being  fixed  by  Frai^ois  I.  himself.  "  Ten  years  or  noth- 
ing !  "  he  said  peremptorily ;  and  ten  years  were  agreed 
upon.  And  yet  it  was  Francois  himself  who  broke  the 
truce  in  four  years. 

Charles  III.,  who  feared  that  from  these  conferences 
would  result  the  sequestration  of  the  few  estates  remain- 
ing to  him,  rejoiced  even  more  at  the  departure  of  his 
illustrious  guests  than  he  had  dreaded  their  arrival. 
They  left  him  as  they  had  found  him,  except  that  he  was 
the  poorer  for  the  cost  of  their  entertainment,  the  ex- 
penses of  which  they  had  forgotten  to  pay.  •  rt 

The  pope  was  the  only  one  who  had  derived  any  advan- 
tage in  this  business  ;  he  had  secured  two  marriage  <&n- 
tracts,  — for  the  marriage  of  his  second  son  Otavio  Farnese 
with  Margaret  of  Austria,  widow  of  Giuliano  de'  Medici, 
who  had  been  assassinated  at  Florence  in  the  church  of 
Santa  Maria  del  Fiore;  and  the  marriage  of  his  niece 
Vittoria  with  Antoiue,  eldest  son  of  Charles  de  Vendome. 

Relieved  from  all  solicitude  with  respect  to  Frar^ois  I., 
Charles  V.  began  to  make  at  Genoa  preparations  against 
the  Turks  ;  these  preparations  were  so  vast  that  it  re- 
quired two  years  to  complete  them. 

At  the  end  of  this  tin^e,  just  as  the  fleet  was  about  to 
set  sail,  Duke  Charles  III.  decided  to  pay  a  visit  to  his 
brother-in-law,  and  present  to  him  his  son  Emmanuel 
Philibert,  who  was  just  entering  his  thirteenth  year.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  Scianca-Ferro  and  Leone  were  of 


THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  PAGE.  ....  95 

• 
party,  for  they  accompanied  Emmanuel  wherever  he 

it.  \y  - 

For  some  time  the  young  prince's  mind  was  very  much 
reoccupied.  He  was  engaged  in  composing  a  speech,  of 
which  he  did  not  like  to  say  anything  either  to  Mon- 
seigneur  Louis  Alardet,  Bishop  of  Lausanne,  his  precep- 
tor, or  to  his  tutors  Louis  de  Chatillon,  Lord  of  Musinens, 
Grand  Equerry  of  Savoy,  Jean-Baptiste  Provann,  Seigneur 
of  Leyni,  and  Edouard  de  Genuve,  Baron  de  Lullens.  He 
therefore  contented  himself  with  talking  of  his  speech  to 
his  squire  and  his  page.  His  intention  was  to  ask  of  the 
emperor  permission  to  accompany  him  in  his  expedition 
to  Barbary. 

Scianca-Ferro  excused  himself  from  giving  an  opinion, 
saying  that  he  should  consider  himself  perfectly  compe- 
tent to  carry  a  challenge,  but  in  the  art  of  speech-making 
he  was  not  at  all  at  home. 

Leone  also  declined  to  give  advice,  saying  that  the 
mere  thought  of  the  perils  Emmanuel  Philibert  must 
encounter  in  such  an  expedition  so  disturbed  his  mind 
that  he  could  not  put  together  the  first  two  words  of  such 
a  petition. 

The  young  prince  found  that  he  must  rely  upon  him- 
self. So,  with  the  aid  of  Livy,  Quintus  Curtius,  Plu- 
tarch, and  other  writers  of  antiquity,  he  composed  the 
speech  he  would  address  to  the  emperor. 

The  emperor  was  living  with  his  friend  Andrea  Doria, 
in  that  beautiful  palace  which  is,  so  to  speak,  the  king  of 
the  port  of  Genoa ;  and  he  watched  the  fitting  out  of  his 
fleet  while  promenading  those  magnificent  terraces  from 
which  the  prodigal  admiral  after  entertaining  at  dinner 
the  ambassadors  of  Venice  ordered  the  silver  fy>m  which 
they  had  dined  to  be  thrown  into  the  sea. 

Duke  Charles,  Emmanuel  Philibert,  and  their  retinue 


96  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

were  conducted  into  the  presence  of  the  emperor  as 
as  they  were  announced. 

The  emperor  embraced  his  brother-in-law,  and  was 
about  to  embrace  his  nephew  in  the  same  manner ;  I>UCT 
Emmanuel  Philibert  disengaged  himself  gracefully  from 
the  august  arms,  and  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  the  emperor, 
with  his  squire  on  one  side  and  his  page  on  the  other, 
before  his  father  even  suspected  his  intentions,  and  with 
the  gravest  air  possible,  addressed  to  the  emperor  the 
following  speech  :  "  Devoted  to  the  support  of  your  dig- 
nity and  your  cause,  which  are  also  those  of  God  and  our 
holy  religion,  I  come  oimy  own  free  will  and  joyfully  to 
beseech  you,  Csesar,  to  receive  me  as  a  volunteer  among 
that  infinite  number  of  warriors  who  come  from  every 
direction  to  serve  under  your  standard.  So  happy  I 
should  be,  Caesar,  to  learn  under  the  greatest  of  kings, 
under  an  invincible  emperor,  the  discipline  of  the  camp 
and  the  art  of  war." 

The  emperor  looked  at  him  with  a  smile,  and  while 
Scianca-Ferro  expressed  aloud  his  admiration  for  his 
prince's  speech,  while,  pale  with  fear,  Leone  prayed  God 
to  inspire  the  emperor  with  the  happy  thought  of  refusing 
this  offer  of  Emmanuel,  he  replied  gravely  :  "  Prince,  I 
thank  you  for  this  mark  of  attachment.  Persist  in  these 
noble  sentiments ;  they  will  be  useful  to  us  both.  You 
are  still  too  young  to  follow  me  to  battle ;  but  if  some 
years  hence  you  have  the  same  earnest  desire,  rest  as- 
sured the  opportunity  will  not  be  wanting."  And  raising 
the  young  prince,  he  embraced  him ;  then,  as  if  to  con- 
sole him,  taking  off  his  own  cordon  of  the  Golden  Fleece, 
he  put  it  round  Emmanuel's  neck. 

"Ah,   mprdieu  J"    exclaimed   Scianca-Ferro,  "that  is 
better  than  the  cardinal's  hat." 
;    "  You  have  a  brave  companion  there,  Nephew,"  said 


THE  SQUIRE  AND  THE  PAGE.         97 

harles  V.,  "  we  will  give  him  also  a  chain,  and  later  we 

1  suspend  from  it  some  sort  of  a  cross."     And  taking  a 

Id  chain  from  the  neck  of  one  of  the  noblemen  present, 
he  threw  it  to  Scianca-Ferro,  saying,  "  That  is  for  you, 
my  fine  squire." 

Quick  as  Charles  V.'s  movement  had  been,  Scianca- 
Ferro  had  time  to  throw  himself  on  his  knees,  so  that  he 
was  in  that  respectful  attitude  when  he  received  the 
emperor's  present. 

"  Come,"  said  the  conqueror  of  Pavia,  who  was  in 
good  humor,  "every  one  must  have  his  share,  even  the 
page ; "  and  drawing  from  his  little  finger  a  diamond, 
"  Pretty  page,"  he  said,  "  it  is  your  turn." 

But  to  the  great  astonishment  of  Emmanuel  Philibert, 
Scianca-Ferro,  and  every  one  present,  Leone  appeared 
not  to  have  heard,  and  stood  motionless  in  his  place. 

"  Oh !  oh  !  "  said  Charles  V.,  "  we  have  a  deaf  page,  it 
seems ; "  and  speaking  louder,  he  said,  "  Come,  pretty 
page,  come  here  !  " 

But  instead  of  obeying,  Leone  took  a  step  backward. 

"  Leone  ! "  cried  Emmanuel,  seizing  the  child's  hand 
and  trying  to  lead  him  to  the  emperor.--/ 

But,  strange  to  say,  Leone  tore  his  hand  away  from 
Emmanuel's,  uttered  a  cry,  and  darted  out  of  the  room. 

"  An  unselfish  page !  "  said  Charles  V.,  "  and  you 
must  tell  me  where  you  procure  such,  my  good  nephew. 
The  diamond  I  offered  him  is  worth  a  thousand  pistoles  !" 
Then  turning  to  the  courtiers,  "  A  good  example  to 
follow,  gentlemen,"  said  Charles  V. 


VOL.  i.  —  7 


98  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

LEONE-LEONA. 

WHEN,  a  short  time  after  his  return  to  the  Palace  Corsi, 
where  he  was  staying  with  his  father,  Emmanuel  Phili- 
bert  asked  Leone  to  tell  him  why  he  had  refused  the 
diamond,  and  why,  like  a  young  wild  hawk,  he  had 
flown  away,  so  to  speak,  with  a  cry  of  terror,  the  child 
was  silent,  and  no  entreaty  could  draw  from  him  a  single 
word  on  the  subject.  He  evinced  the  same  determina- 
tion as  he  had  exhibited  when  the  Duchess  Beatrice  had 
endeavored  to  elicit  from  him  some  information  about 
his  mother,  and  he  had  refused  to  speak. 

But  how  could  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  be  concerned  in 
the  calamity  which  had  fallen  upon  the  orphan  page] 
This  was  a  problem  in  regard  to  which  Emmanuel 
Philibert  could  form  no  conjectures.  Whatever  might 
be  the  explanation,  he  was  ready  to  impute  wrong- 
doing to  every  one,  even  to  his  uncle,  rather  than  sus- 
pect for  a  moment  that  Leone  was  guilty  of  caprice  or 
thoughtlessness. 

Two  years  had  flown  since  the  truce  had  been  agreed 
upon  at  Nice.  That  was  a  very  long  time  for  Fran£ois  I. 
to  keep  his  word ;  and  all  parties  were  surprised  by  his 
fidelity,  —  especially  Charles  V.,  who  during  the  inter- 
view which  he  had  had  with  his  brother-in-law  did  not 
cease  to  mistrust  what  the  King  of  France  might  do  as 
soon  as  he,  Charles  V.,  should  be  no  longer  present  to 
protect  the  poor  duke. 


LEONE-LEONA.  99 

In  fact,  hardly  had  the  emperor  set  sail  when  the 
Duke  of  Savoy,  on  his  return  to  Nice,  received  a  messen- 
ger from  Francois  I.  Fra^ois  proposed  to  his  uncle  to 
yield  to  him  Savoy,  on  condition  that  Charles  III.  would 
give  up  Piedmont  to  him,  to  be  annexed  to  the  crown  of 
France. 

The  duke,  indignant  that  such  a  proposition  should  be 
made  to  him,  sent  back  bis  nephew's  messenger,  and 
forbade  him  to  appear  again  in  his  presence. 

What  had  given  Francois  I.  the  assurance  to  declare 
war  for  the  fourth  time  against  the  emperor1?  The  fact 
that  he  had  two  new  allies,  —  Luther  and  Soliman,  the 
Huguenots  of  Germany  and  the  Saracens  of  Africa. 
Strange  allies  these  for  the  "  most  Christian "  king,  for 
the  "  eldest  son  of  the  Church  "  ! 

It  is  a  striking  fact  that  during  that  long-continued 
struggle  between  Frangois  I.  and  Charles  V.  the  one  who 
is  continually  false  to  his  word  is  called  "  the  knightly 
king"!  After  having  "lost  all  except  honor"  on  the 
battle-field  of  Pavia,  he  put  upon  that  honor,  unblem- 
ished by  the  defeat,  an  ineffaceable  stigma  by  signing  in 
his  prison  a  treaty  that  he  did  not  mean  to  keep. 

Behold  this  king,  who  ought  to  be  driven  from  history 
as  Christ  drove  the  money-changers  from  the  temple, 
this  soldier  knighted  by  Bayard,  and  cursed  by  Saint- 
Vallier  because  he  did  not  keep  his  word,  —  he  seems  to 
have  gone  mad.  He  is  the  friend  of  the  Turk  and  the 
heretic  ;  he  offers  his  right  hand  to  Soliman,  and  his  left 
to  Luther ;  he,  the  son  of  Louis,  allies  himself  with  the 
son  of  Mahomet !  So  God,  after  sending  to  this  king 
defeat,  the  daughter  of  his  anger,  sends  him  the  plague, 
the  daughter  of  his  vengeance  ! 

Notwithstanding  all  this  he  is  called  in  the  books  —  in 
those  of  the  historians,  at  least  —  the  knightly  king!  It 


100  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

is  true,  we  who  are  not  historians  call  him  the  infamous 
king,  perjurer  toward  his  enemies,  perjurer  toward  his 
friends,  and  perjurer  toward  God  ! 

This  time,  on  receiving  the  Duke  of  Savoy's  answer, 
he  threatened  Nice  itself. 

The  Duke  of  Savoy  left  on  guard  at  Nice  a  brave 
Savoyard  cavalier,  Odinet  de  Montfort  by  name,  and 
taking  his  way  through  the  Col  di  Tende,  he  arrived  at 
Vercelli,  where  he  set  about  mustering  the  few  troops  he 
could  still  command. 

Emmanuel  Philihert  had  entreated  his  father  to  allow 
him  to  remain  at  Nice  and  serve  his  first  campaign  at 
once  against  Francois  I.  and  Soliman  ;  but  the  life  of  the 
only  heir  of  his  house  was  too  precious  to  the  duke  for 
him  to  grant  such  a  request.  There  was  not,  however, 
the  same  objection  in  the  case  of  Scianca-Ferro,  and  he 
eagerly  made  use  of  the  permission  granted  him. 

The  duke,  his  sou,  and  Leone,  with  their  suite,  had 
left  Nice  but  a  few  leagues  behind  them,  when  a  fleet 
of  two  hundred  sail,  flying  both  Turkish  and  French 
standards,  was  seen  entering  the  harbor  of  Villa- 
Franca,  where  it  disembarked  ten  thousand  Turks  under 
Khair-Eddin,  and  twelve  thousand  French  under  the 
Due  d'Enghien. 

The  siege  was  terrible  ;  the  garrison  defended  its  posi- 
tion inch  by  inch,  and  every  one  —  citizens,  soldiers,  and 
gentlemen  —  performed  prodigies  of  valor.  The  town 
was  laid  open  in  ten  different  places,  and  the  Turks  and 
French  entered  through  ten  different  breaches.  Then 
every  house,  every  street,  and  every  square  was  defended 
against  the  invaders,  in  whose  steps  followed  the  flames ; 
so  that  when  Odinet  de  Montfort  retreated  within  the 
castle  he  left  to  the  enemy  only  a  city  in  ruins. 

The  next  day  a  herald  summoned  him  to  surrender. 


LEONE-LEON  A.  101 

But  shaking  his  head,  he  said,  "  My  friend,  you  make  a 
mistake  in  proposing  to  me  such  a  cowardly  act.  My 
name  is  Montfort ;  my  arms  are  pikes,  and  my  motto  is, 
•Stand  firm!"' 

Montfort  showed  himself  worthy  of  his  motto,  of  hia 
coat-of-arms,  and  of  his  name.  He  stood  firm  until,  the 
duke  approaching  from  one  direction  with  four  thousand 
Piedmontese,  and  Alphonzo  d'Avalos  arriving  from  an- 
other direction  with  six  thousand  Spaniards,  the  Turks 
and  the  French  raised  the  siege. 

It  was  a  day  of  rejoicing  for  Duke  Charles  and  his  sub- 
jects when  they  returned  to  Nice,  ruined  as  was  the  city  ; 
it  was  also  a  day  of  rejoicing  for  Emmanuel  Philibert  and 
his  squire.  Scianca-Ferro  had  justified  the  name  given 
him  by  Charles  III.,  when  his  foster-brother  asked  him 
how  he  had  succeeded  when  he  had  real  breastplates  and 
real  shields  to  strike.  "Bah  !"  he  answered,  "they  are 
not  so  difficult  to  cleave  as  oaks ;  they  are  not  so  hard  to 
crush  as  rocks." 

"  Oh  that  I  could  have  been  there  !  "  murmured  Em- 
manuel Philibert,  not  perceiving  that  Leone,  tightening 
his  hold  on  Emmanuel's  arm,  had  turned  pale  at  the 
thought  of  the  dangers  which  Scianca-Ferro  had  already 
encountered,  and  to  which  Emmanuel  must  some  time  be 
exposed. 

Our  poor  page,  it  is  true,  was  later  on  quite  reassured 
by  the  treaty  of  Crespy,  the  result  of  both  the  invasion 
of  Provence  by  Charles  V.  and  also  of  the  battle  of 
Cerisolles.  This  treaty,  which  was  signed  on  the  14th 
of  October,  1544,  stipulated  that  Philippe  d'Orle'ans, 
second  son  of  Fra^ois  I.,  should  marry,  at  the  end  of  two 
years,  the  emperor's  daughter,  and  should  receive  with 
her  as  dowry  the  duchy  of  Milan  and  the  Netherlands; 
while  on  his  part  the  King  of  France  should  renounce  all 


102  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

claim  to  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  and  restore  to  the  Duke 
of  Savoy  all  that  he  had  taken  from  him,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  fortresses  of  Pignerol  and  Montmellian,  which 
should  be  added  to  the  French  territory  as  places  of  de- 
fence. The  terms  of  this  treaty  were  to  be  carried  into  ef- 
fect in  two  years,  —  that  is  to  say,  at  the  time  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Due  d'Orleans  with  the  emperor's  daughter. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  year  1545.  The  children 
have  grown  up.  Leone,  the  youngest  of  the  three,  is 
fourteen  years  of  age ;  Emmanuel,  seventeen ;  Scianca- 
Ferro,  the  oldest  of  all,  is  six  months  older  than 
Emmanuel. 

What  was  going  on  at  this  time  in  the  mind  of  Leone, 
and  why  was  the  young  man  becoming  daily  more  sad  1 
This  Emmanuel  and  Scianca-Ferro  tried  in  vain  to  dis- 
cover. It  was  strange,  indeed,  but  the  older  Leone  grew, 
the  less  he  joined  in  the  sports  of  his  companions.  Em- 
manuel, that  his  epithet  Cardinalin  might  be  entirely 
forgotten,  and  the  squire,  that  he  might  be  still  more 
worthy  of  the  sobriquet  Scianca-Ferro,  passed  whole  days 
in  mock  combats,  wielding  the  sword,  the  lance,  or  the 
axe  with  strength  and  skill.  Emmanuel  had  acquired 
great  proficiency  in  the  use  of  arms,  while  Scianca-Ferro 
had  been  endowed  by  nature  with  the  greatest  power  and 
vigor  of  which  human  muscle  is  capable. 

At  these  times  Leone  would  stand  in  a  pensive  attitude 
on  some  tower,  from  the  top  of  which  he  could  see  the 
exercises  of  the  young  men  and  watch  Emmanuel ;  or  if 
their  passion  for  mock  combats  seemed  to  be  carrying 
them  too  far,  he  would  take  a  book  and  withdraw  to  a 
solitary  corner  of  the  garden  to  read. 

Riding  was  the  only  exercise  to  which  Leone  had  shown 
any  inclination,  —  doubtless  because  it  offered  him  the 
means  for  following  Emmanuel ;  but  for  some  time  past, 


LEONE-LEONA.  103 

and  in  proportion  as  his  melancholy  had  increased,  the 
page  had  gradually  given  up  even  this  exercise. 

It  was  a  thing  utterly  incomprehensible  to  Emmanuel, 
that  upon  any  allusion  to  the  fact  that  he  would  sometime 
become  a  rich  and  powerful  prince,  the  page's  counte- 
nance assumed  a  deeper  melancholy  than  usual. 

One  day  the  duke  received  from  the  Emperor  Charles 
V.  a  letter  in  which  he  proposed  a  marriage  between 
Emmanuel  Philibert  and  the  daughter  of  his  brother, 
King  Ferdinand.  Leone  was  present  when  this  letter 
was  read,  and  he  could  not  conceal  the  effect  it  produced 
upon  him  ;  to  the  great  astonishment  of  Duke  Charles 
III.  and  Scianca-Ferro,  who  sought  in  vain  the  reason  for 
such  grief,  he  suddenly  burst  into  tears  and  left  the 
room. 

Duke  Charles  having  gone  to  his  own  apartment,  Em- 
manuel rushed  out  to  follow  his  page.  The  feeling  he  en- 
tertained for  Leone  was  peculiar,  —  not  at  all  resembling 
that  with  which  Scianca-Ferro  inspired  him.  He  would 
have  given  his  life  to  save  that  of  Sciauca-Ferro ;  he  would 
have  given  his  blood  to  save  that  of  his  foster-brother ;  but 
he  would  have  given  both  life  and  blood  to  restrain  the 
tear  trembling  on  the  velvety  eyelid  and  the  long  black 
lashes  of  Leone.  On  seeing  him  weep  he  wished  to  dis- 
cover the  cause  of  his  grief.  For  more  than  a  year  he 
had  observed  the  increasing  melancholy  of  the  young 
page,  and  had  often  demanded  of  him  the  cause  of  his 
sadness ;  but  immediately  Leone  had  made  an  effort 
at  self-control,  had  shaken  his  head  as  if  to  drive  away 
gloomy  thoughts,  and  had  answered,  smiling :  "I  am  too 
happy,  Monseigneur  Emmanuel,  and  I  am  always  in  fear 
that  such  happiness  will  not  last !  " 

And  Emmanuel  in  his  turn  had  shaken  his  head.  But 
as  he  observed  that  too  much  insistence  seemed  only  to 


104  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

increase  Leone's  unhappiness,  he  had  contented  himself 
with  taking  his  hands  in  his  own  and  gazing  earnestly 
into  his  face  as  if  to  question  him  through  every  sense  at 
once.  But  Leone  would  slowly  turn  away  his  eyes,  and 
gently  withdraw  his  hands  from  Emmanuel's. 

Then  Emmanuel  wotild  go  to  rejoin  Scianca-Ferro, 
about  whose  sensations  he  never  thought  of  inquiring, 
and  whose  countenance  it  would  never  have  occurred  to 
him  to  search  with  his  gaze  while  he  clasped  his  hands 
in  his  own,  —  so  different  was  the  friendship  between 
Emmanuel  .and  Scianca-Ferro  from  that  which  united 
Emmanuel  and  Leone. 

But  on  this  day  Emmanuel  sought  for  the  page  for 
more  than  an  hour  in  the  chateau  and  in  the  park  with- 
out finding  him.  He  asked  every  one  for  information, 
but  no  one  had  seen  Leone.  Finally  he  asked  one  of  the 
grooms,  who  said  that  Leone  had  gone  into  the  church, 
and  that  he  was  probably  there  still. 

Emmanuel  ran  to  the  church,  and  looking  over  the 
whole  interior  of  the  dimly  lighted  edifice,  he  saw  Leone 
on  his  knees  in  the  most  retired  corner  of  the  most  ob- 
scure chapel.  He  approached  almost  near  enough  to 
touch  him,  before  the  page,  plunged  in  meditation,  per- 
ceived his  presence.  Then  he  advanced  another  step  and 
touched  him  on  the  shoulder,  speaking  his  name. 

Leone  started  and  looked  at  Emmanuel  with  an  almost 
wild  expression. 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  the  church  at  this  hour, 
Leone  ? "  asked  Emmanuel,  anxiously. 

"  I  am  praying  God,"  answered  Leone,  sadly,  "  to  give 
me  strength  to  carry  into  execution  a  plan  which  I  am 
contemplating." 

"  And  what  is  that  plan,  child  1 "  demanded  Emman- 
uel ;  "  am  I  not  to  know  it  1 " 


LEONE-LEONA.  105 

"  On  the  contrary,  Monseigneur,"  replied  Leone,  "  you 
will  be  the  first  to  know  it." 

"  You  promise  me,  Leone  1 " 

"  Alas,  yes,  Mouseigueur,"  replied  the  young  man,  with 
a  sad  smile. 

Emmanuel  took  his  hand  and  tried  to  lead  him  out  of 
the  church.  But  Leone  gently  disengaged  his  hand,  as 
for  some  months  he  had  been  wont  to  do  under  such 
circumstances,  and  kneeling  again,  entreated  with  a  ges- 
ture the  young  prince  to  leave  him.  "  I  will  come  pres- 
ently," he  said.  "  I  need  to  be  a  moment  longer  with 
God." 

There  was  something  so  solemn  and  so  melancholy  in 
the  young  man's  tone  that  Emmanuel  did  not  think  of 
resisting  it.  He  left  the  church,  but  he  waited  at  the 
door  for  Leone.  When  Leone  came  out  he  gave  a  start 
on  seeing  Emmanuel,  and  yet  did  not  seem  astonished  to 
find  him  there. 

"  And  this  secret,"  demanded  Emmanuel,  —  "  shall  I 
know  it  soon  1  " 

"  To-morrow  I  hope  to  have  strength  to  tell  you,  Mon- 
seigneur," replied  Leone. 

"  In  what  place  1 " 

"  In  this  church." 

"  At  what  hour  ? " 

"  Come  at  the  same  time  at  which  you  came  to-day." 

"  And  until  then,  Leone  1  "  asked  Emmanuel,  in  a  tone 
almost  beseeching. 

"  Until  then,  I  hope  that  Monseigneur  will  not  oblige 
me  to  leave  my  room  ;  I  have  need  of  solitude  and 
reflection." 

Emmanuel  looked  at  the  page  with  an  indefinable  feel- 
ing of  apprehension,  and  accompanied  him  to  his  own 
door.  There  Leone  took  the  prince's  hand  to  kiss  it; 


106  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

but  Emmanuel  in  his  turn  withdrew  his  hand  and  ex- 
tended his  arms  to  draw  the  child  to  him  and  kiss  him 
on  the  face.  But  Leone  gently  repulsed  him,  evaded 
his  outstretched  arms,  and  with  an  accent  of  sweetness 
and  unspeakable  sadness  said,  "  Until  to-morrow,  Mou- 
seigneur !  "  And  he  withdrew  into  his  room. 

Emmanuel  stood  motionless  for  a  moment  at  the  door. 
He  heard  Leone  draw  the  bolt,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the 
coldness  of  the  iron  grating  along  the  door  penetrated  to 
his  very  soul.  "  Oh,  my  God  !  "  he  munnured  in  a  low 
tone,  "  what,  then,  has  happened  to  me,  and  what  is  this 
that  I  feel  ?  " 

"  What  the  devil  are  you  doing  there  1 "  said  a  loud 
voice  behind  Emmanuel,  while  a  hand  was  placed  heavily 
on  his  shoulder. 

Emmanuel  sighed,  took  Scianca-Ferro's  arm,  and  drew 
him  into  the  garden.  Both  sat  down  side  by  side  upon 
a  bench,  and  Emmanuel  related  to  Sciauca-Ferro  what 
had  just  taken  place  between  him  and  Leone. 

Scianca-Ferro  reflected  a  moment,  looked  up  in  the  air, 
and  bit  his  finger-nails.  Then,  suddenly,  "  I  think  that 
I  know  what  it  is,"  he  said. 

"  What  is  it,  then  ? " 

"  Leone  is  in  love  !  " 

Emmanuel  felt  as  if  he  had  been  stabbed  to  the  heart. 
"  Impossible  !  "  he  stammered. 

"  And  why  impossible  1  "  said  Scianca-Ferro.  "  I  am 
in  love  myself !  " 

"  You  !     And  with  whom  1  "  demanded  Emmanuel. 

"  Eh,  parbleu !  with  Gervaise,  the  daughter  of  the 
doorkeeper  at  the  chateau.  She  was  dreadfully  fright- 
ened during  the  siege,  poor  child,  especially  when  night 
came ;  and  I  kept  by  her  to  reassure  her." 

Emmanuel  shrugged  his  shoulders.     He  was  very  sure 


LEONE-LEOXA.  107 

that  Leone  had  not  fallen  in  love  with  a  doorkeeper's 
daughter. 

Scianca-Ferro  mistook  Emmanuel's  gesture  for  one  of 
disdain. 

"Ah,  Monsieur  Cardinalin,"  he  said,  —  for  in  spite  of 
Emmanuel's  ribbon  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  there  were  mo- 
ments when  Scianca-Ferro  called  him  by  this  name,  — 
"  don't  be  too  particular.  Well,  I  tell  you  that  I  prefer 
Gervaise  to  all  the  fine  ladies  of  the  court.  And  if  there 
is  a  tournament,  I  am  ready  to  wear  her  colors  and  de- 
fend her  beauty  against  all  comers." 

"  I  should  pity  those  who.  were  not  of  your  opinion, 
my  dear  Scianca-Ferro,"  replied  Emmanuel. 

"  And  you  are  right ;  for  the  daughter  of  my  door- 
keeper I  would  strike  as  hard  as  for  the  daughter  of  a 
king." 

Emmanuel  arose,  pressed  Scianca-Ferro's  hand,  and 
went  to  his  apartments. 

Certainly,  as  he  said,  Scianca-Ferro  was  too  rude  a 
striker  to  be  able  to  comprehend  the  workings  of  Emman- 
uel's heart  or  to  divine  the  struggle  of  Leone's  soul. 

As  for  Emmanuel,  although  endowed  with  the  greatest 
delicacy  of  feeling  and  the  most  exquisite  refinement  of 
mind,  he  sought  vainly  in  the  solitude  of  his  chamber 
and  in  the  silence  of  the  night  to  discover  the  cause  of 
Leone's  sorrow,  and  also  the  cause  of  his  own  emotions. 
He  waited  impatiently  for  the  morrow. 

The  morning  passed  slowly,  and  Emmanuel  did  not  see 
Leone.  When  the  appointed  hour  arrived  he  set  out  for 
the  church  in  as  great  a  state  of  excitement  as  if  it  were 
the  most  critical  moment  of  his  life.  Indeed  the  treaty 
of  Crespy,  concluded  a  year  previously,  and  which  decided 
the  question  of  the  final  restoi-ation  or  alienation  of  his 
dominions,  had  seemed  to  him  of  far  less  importance 


108  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

than  the  secret  which  Leone  was  about  to  impart  to 
him. 

He  found  the  young  man  at  the  same  place  as  on  the 
day  before.  He  had  evidently  been  praying  for  some 
time,  and  his  countenance  bore  an  expression  of  gentle 
and  melancholy  resignation.  It  was  evident  that  his 
resolution,  so  unsettled  the  evening  before,  was  now  fixed. 
Emmanuel  approached  him  joyfully ;  Leone  received  him 
with  a  sweet  but  sad  smile. 

"  Well?"  asked  Emmanuel. 

"  Well,  Monseigneur,  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you." 

"  What  is  it,  Leone  ?  " 

"  You  know  my  weakness  and  my  unfitness  for  all  exer- 
cises of  the  body.  In  your  almost  royal  future  you  will 
have  need  of  strong  men  like  Scianca-Ferro,  and  will 
have  no  use  for  feeble  and  timid  children  like  me,  Mon- 
seigneur —  "  Though  he  made  an  effort  to  control  him- 
self, his  agitation  increased,  and  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks. 
"  Monseigneur,  I  have  a  singular  favor  to  ask  of  you ;  I 
want  to  leave  you." 

Emmanuel  started  back  ;  he  had  passed  his  whole  life 
with  Scianca-Ferro  and  Leone,  and  had  never  contem- 
plated a  separation  from  either  of  these  two  friends. 
"  Leave  me  ?  "  he  said  to  Leone  in  utter  astonishment. 

Leone  did  not  answer,  and  hung  his  head. 

"  Leave  me  ?"  repeated  Emmanuel,  in  a  tone  of  deepest 
sorrow.  "  You  leave  me  1  Impossible  !  " 

"  It  must  be,"  said  Leone,  in  an  almost  inaudible  voice. 

Emmanuel,  like  a  man  who  feels  that  he  is  losing  his 
senses,  put  his  hand  to  his  head,  looked  at  the  altar,  and 
let  his  arms  fall  heavily  by  his  side.  Fot  some  moments 
he  had  questioned  himself.  Then  he  had  questioned 
God ;  and  as  he  could  obtain  no  answer  from  earth  or 
from  heaven,  he  fell  back  into  despair. 


LEONE-LEONA.  109 

"  Leave  me  ? "  he  said  for  the  third  time,  as  if  he  could 
not  get  accustomed  to  these  words,  —  "  me,  who  found 
you  dying,  Leone,  who  received  you  as  if  you  had  been 
sent  by  Providence,  who  have  always  treated  you  as  a 
brother  !  Oh  ! " 

"  It  is  for  that  very  reason,  Monseigneur ;  it  is  because 
I  owe  you  much,  and  in  remaining  with  you  cannot  repay 
you  what  I  owe  you,  —  it  is  for  this  reason  that  I  would 
like  to  spend  all  my  life  in  praying  for  my  benefactor." 

"  Pray  for  me  ! "  said  Emmanuel,  more  and  more  as- 
tonished. "  And  where  would  you  pray  ]  " 

"  In  some  holy  monastery,  which  seems  to  me  a  more 
suitable  place  for  a  poor  orphan  like  me  than  that  which 
I  should  occupy  in  a  brilliant  court  such  as  yours  will 
be." 

"  My  mother,  my  dear  mother,"  murmured  Emmanuel, 
"  you  who  loved  me  so  well,  what  would  you  say  if  you 
heard  this]" 

"  In  the  presence  of  God,  who  hears  us,"  said  Leone, 
laying  his  hand  solemnly  on  the  young  prince's  arm,  "  I 
assure  you  she  would  say  that  I  am  right." 

In  this  reply  of  Leone  there  was  such  an  accent  of 
truth,  such  an  expression  of  solemn  conviction  that  Em- 
manuel was  shaken  by  it. 

"  Leone,"  he  said,  "  you  are  free  to  do  as  you  wish.  I 
have  tried  to  capture  your  heart,  but  I  have  never  tried 
to  enslave  your  body.  I  only  ask  you  not  to  decide  has- 
tily ;  take  a  week,  take  —  " 

"  Oh,"  said  Leone,  "  if  I  do  not  go  now  when  God  gives 
me  strength  to  leave  you,  Emmanuel,  I  shall  never  go ; 
and  I  tell  you  I  must  go." 

"  Must  go  !     But  why  must  you  go  ? " 

This  question  was  met  by  Leone  with  the  same  obsti- 
nate silence  which  he  had  maintained  on  two  former 


110  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

occasions,  —  once  when  at  the  village  of  Oleggio  the 
duchess  had  questioned  him  concerning  his  parents  and 
his  birth,  and  also  when  at  Genoa,  Emmanuel  had  asked 
him  his  reason  for  refusing  Charles  V.'s  diamond.  Never- 
theless Emmanuel  was  on  the  point  of  insisting  upon  an 
answer,  when  he  heard  a  strange  step  in  the  church. 

It  was  a  servant,  who  brought  word  that  Duke  Charles 
wished  to  see  him  instantly.  Important  despatches  had 
just  been  received  from  France. 

"  You  see,  Leone,"  Emmanuel  said  to  the  child,  "  I 
must  leave  you  now.  I  will  see  you  again  this  evening ; 
and  if  you  persist  in  your  resolution,  Leone,  well,  you 
shall  be  free  to  go,  my  child ;  you  may  go  to-morrow, 
or  to-night  even,  if  you  think  it  your  duty  to  go 
immediately." 

Leone  did  not  answer,  but  sank  on  his  knees  and  sobbed 
as  if  his  heart  would  break. 

Emmanuel  went  away,  but  he  could  not  help  looking 
back  to  see  if  the  child  suffered  as  much  in  seeing  him 
go  as  he  himself  suffered  in  going. 

Leone  remained  alone  in  prayer  for  another  hour,  and 
returned  home  more  calm.  In  Emmanuel's  absence,  his 
resolution,  so  unsettled  while  the  young  prince  was  with 
him,  was  restored  to  him  by  that  angel  with  the  heart 
of  ice  called  reason.  But  once  in  his  chamber,  the  idea 
that  Emmanuel  might  come  at  any  moment  to  make  a 
last  attempt  at  persuading  him  to  alter  his  decision,  dis- 
turbed the  boy.  At  every  sound  he  heard  on  the  stair- 
case he  started ;  every  step  which  sounded  in  the 
corridor  seemed,  as  it  passed  his  door,  to  tread  upon 
his  heart. 

Two  hours  passed,  and  he  heard  a  step.  Oh  !  this 
time  Leone  had  no  doubt,  for  he  had  recognized  the  step. 
The  door  opened,  and  Emmanuel  entered.  He  was  sad, 


LEONE-LEONA.  Ill 

but  there  was  in  the  expression  of  his  face  a  gleam  of  joy 
whose  light  even  his  sadness  could  not  extinguish. 

"Well,  Leone,"  asked  Emmanuel,  after  closing  the 
door,  "have  you  reflected?" 

" Monseigneur,"  replied  Leone,  "when  you  left  me  I 
had  already  reflected." 

"  So  you  persist  in  leaving  me  1 " 

Leone  was  not  able  to  answer;  he  bowed  his  head  in 
sign  of  assent. 

"  And  you  are  going  to  leave  me,"  continued  Emman- 
uel, with  a  melancholy  smile,  "  because  I  am  going  to  be 
a  great  prince  and  to  have  a  brilliant  court  ? '' 

Leone  once  more  bowed  his  head. 

"Well,"  said  Emmanuel,  somewhat  bitterly,  "reassure 
yourself  on  this  point,  Leone.  I  am  to-day  poorer  and  of 
less  importance  than  ever  before." 

Leone  looked  up,  and  Emmanuel  could  see  the  aston- 
ishment beaming  from  his  fine  eyes  through  his  tears. 

"The  second  son  of  the  King  of  France,  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  is  dead,"  said  Emmanuel ;  "  so  that  the  treaty 
of  Crespy  is  nullified." 

"  And  —  and  ?  "  demanded  Leone,  with  eager  curiosity 
visible  in  every  line  of  his  face. 

"And,"  replied  Emmanuel,  "  as  the  Emperor  Charles  V., 
my  uncle,  will  not  give  up  the  duchy  of  Milan  to  my 
cousin  FranQois  I.,  my  cousin  Franqois  I.  will  not  restore 
to  my  father  his  dominions." 

"  But,"  inquired  Leone,  in  a  tone  of  intense  anxiety, 
"  the  marriage  with  King  Ferdinand's  daughter,  that 
marriage  proposed  by  the  emperor  himself,  will  still  take 
place?" 

"  My  poor  Leone,"  said  the  young  man,  "the  emperor 
wished  to  marry  his  niece  to  the  Comte  de  Bresse, 
Prince  of  Piedmont,  Duke  of  Savoy,  —  to  a  princely  bus- 


112  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

band  in  short,  but  not  to  the  poor  Emmanuel  Philibert, 
who  of  all  his  possessions  has  only  the  city  of  Nice,  the 
valley  of  Aosta,  and  three  or  four  paltry  towns  scattered 
about  through  Savoy  and  Piedmont." 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  Leone,  with  an  expression  of  joy  impos- 
sible to  suppress.  But  almost  immediately  recovering 
the  self-control  he  had  nearly  lost,  he  said,  "It  does  not 
matter;  that  can  make  no  change  in  my  determination." 

"  So,"  said  Emmanuel,  sadder  and  more  cast  down 
at  the  boy's  resolution  than  he  had  been  at  the  news 
of  the  loss  of  his  estates,  "you  still  wish  to  leave  me, 
Leone  1 " 

"  What  was  my  duty  yesterday  is  still  my  duty  to- 
day, Emmanuel." 

"  Yesterday,  Leone,  I  was  rich,  powerful,  and  the  heir 
to  a  ducal  crown  ;  to-day  I  am  poor,  I  am  despoiled,  and 
possess  only  my  sword.  In  leaving  me  yesterday,  Leone, 
you  would  have  been  cruel ;  in  leaving  me  to-day,  you  are 
ungrateful.  Adieu,  Leone." 

"Ungrateful?"  exclaimed  Leone.  "Oh,  my  God, 
thou  hearest  him ;  he  says  that  I  am  ungrateful ! " 
Then  as  the  young  prince  was  leaving  the  room  with 
stern  face  and  frowning  brow,  — 

"  Oh,  Emmanuel,  Emmanuel,"  cried  Leone,  "do  not 
leave  me  so ;  it  will  kill  me !  " 

Emmanuel  turned  and  saw  the  boy  standing  with  arms 
stretched  toward  him,  pale,  trembling,  and  almost  faint- 
ing. He  sprang  forward,  caught  the  boy  in  his  arms, 
and  giving  way  to  an  impulse  for  which  he  could  not 
account,  pressed  his  lips  to  those  of  Leone. 

Leone  uttered  a  wild  cry  of  pain,  as  if  a  red-hot  iron 
had  touched  him,  and  then  sank  back  fainting.  The 
clasp  of  his  doublet  pressed  upon  his  throat.  Emmanuel 
unfastened  it ;  then,  as  the  boy  was  choking  in  his  stiff 


LEONE-LEON  A.  113 

ruff,  he  tore  it  off,  and  iu  order  to  give  him  air,  he  burst 
off  all  the  buttons  of  his  shirt.  Then  it  was  Emmanuel's 
turn  to  cry  out,  —  not  with  grief,  but  with  surprise, 
astonishment,  and  joy. 

Leone  was  a  woman ! 

"When  she  came  to  herself  she  was  no  longer  Leone ; 
henceforth  Emmanuel  Philibert  was  the  lover  of  Leona. 
There  was  no  further  question  in  the  poor  child's  mind 
of  separation  from  her  lover,  by  whom  without  a  word  of 
explanation  everything  was  understood, — her  melancholy 
solitude,  and  her  desire  for  flight.  When  Leoua  discov- 
ered that  she  loved  Emmanuel  Philibert,  she  had  wished 
to  go  away  ;  but  the  moment  she  knew  that  the  young 
man  returned  her  love,  she  devoted  to  him  her  life. 
To  the  world  the  page  continued  to  be  a  young  man, 
and  was  called  Leone.  To  Emmanuel  Philibert  alone, 
Leone  was  a  beautiful  young  girl  called  Leona. 

As  prince,  Emmanuel  Philibert  had  lost  Bresse,  Pied- 
mont, and  all  Savoy  with  the  exception  of  Nice,  the  val- 
ley of  Aosta,  and  the  city  of  Vercelli.  But  as  man  he 
had  lost  nothing,  since  God  had  given  Sciauca-Ferro  and 
Leona;  that  is  to  say,  the  two  most  magnificent  gifts 
which  in  his  divine  liberality  God  could  bestow  upon  one 
of  his  elect,  —  devotion  and  love. 


VOL.  i.  —  8 


114  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   THREE    MESSAGES. 

LET  us  now  devote  a  few  Hues  to  the  political  events  of 
the  period  included  between  the  date  on  which  the  scene 
took  place  which  we  have  just  related,  and  that  of  the 
opening  of  our  story. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  had  told  Leone  that  he  had 
nothing  left  but  his  sword. 

Open  demonstrations  by  the  league  of  the  Protestants 
of  Germany  which  was  formed  by  John  Frederick,  Elec- 
tor of  Saxony,  who  was  disturbed  by  the  gradual  en- 
croachments of  the  Empire,  gave  the  young  prince  an 
occasion  for  again  offering  to  the  emperor  the  service  of 
his  sword,  which  this  time  was  accepted. 

The  Protestant  princes  maintained,  as  a  pretext  for 
their  procedure,  that  during  the  life  of  the  emperor 
his  brother  Ferdinand  could  not  become  King  of  the 
Romans. 

The  league  was  formed  in  the  little  town  of  Schmal- 
kalden,  situated  in  the  province  of  Henneberg,  and  be- 
longing to  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse;  it  took  its  name  from 
the  town,  and  is  known  as  the  Smalkald  League.  Henry 
VIII.  had  some  scruples,  and  refused  to  join;  Francois  I., 
on  the  contrary,  entered  into  it  heartily.  The  league 
had  held  its  first  meeting  Dec.  22,  1530. 

Soliman  also  was  concerned  in  this  league.  In  fact, 
be  had  given  it  his  support  in  laying  siege  to  Messina  in 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  115 

1532.  But  Charles  V.  had  marched  against  him  with  an 
army  of  four  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  infantry  and 
thirty  thousand  horse,  and  had  forced  him  to  raise  the 
siege.  Then  with  the  aid  of  the  plague,  he  had  de- 
stroyed Francois  I.'s  army  in  Italy  ;  the  consequence  of 
which  was  the  treaty  of  Cambrai  on  the  5th  of  August 
in  one  quarter,  and  in  another  the  treaty  of  Nuremberg, 
July  23,  1532,  which  had  for  a  short  time  restored  peace 
to  Europe. 

The  short  duration  of  treaties  made  with  Frangois 
I.  is  well  known.  The  treaty  of  Nuremberg  had  been 
broken  ;  and  the  Smalkald  League,  which  had  had  time 
to  collect  all  its  forces,  had  begun  to  manifest  itself. 

The  emperor  marched  in  person  against  the  Smal- 
kaldistes.  The  affairs  of  Germany  always  seemed  to  in- 
terest him  more  than  those  of  any  other  country.  It 
was  because  Charles  V.  well  understood  that  since  the 
decadence  of  the  papacy  the  Empire  was  the  greatest 
power  in  the  world. 

It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  on  the  27th 
of  May,  1545,  Emmanuel  Philibert  set  out  to  join 
the  emperor  at  Worms.  The  young  prince,  as  usual, 
was  accompanied  by  Scianca-Ferro  and  Leone. 

He  was  followed  by  forty  gentlemen,  —  the  largest 
army  that  could  be  raised  in  the  dominions  Of  the  man 
who  still  bore  the  titles  of  Duke  of  Savoy,  Chablais,  and 
Aosta,  Prince  of  Piedmont,  Achaia,  and  the  Morea, 
Count  of  Geneva,  Nice,  Asti,  Bresse,  and  Romont,  Baron 
of  Vaud,  Gex,  and  Faucigny,  Seigneur  of  Vercelli,  Beau- 
fort, Bugey,  and  Freiburg,  Prince  and  perpetual  vicegerent 
of  the  Empire,  Marquis  of  Italy,  and  King  of  Cyprus  ! 

Charles  V.  received  his  nephew  most  graciously,  and 
permitted  him  to  be  addressed  in  his  presence  as  "Your 
Majesty,"  on  account  of  his  father's  claim  to  the  king- 


116  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

dom  of  Cyprus,  for  which  kind  reception  Emmanuel 
Philibert  repaid  by  prodigies  of  valor  at  the  battles  of 
Ingoldstadt  and  Muhlberg.  This  last  battle  ended  the 
struggle.  Ten  of  the  forty  men  were  unable  to  answer 
the  call  of  their  commander  Emmanuel  Philibert ;  they 
were  either  dead  or  wounded. 

As  for  Scianca-Ferro,  recognizing  in  the  midst  of  the 
combat  the  Elector  John  Frederick,  by  his  powerful 
horse,  his  gigantic  figure,  and  the  fury  of  his  lighting, 
he  singled  him  out  as  an  adversary  ;  and  certainly  the 
young  man  would  have  won  his  name  of  Scianca-Ferro 
this  day,  if  it  had  not  been  his  long  before.  With  one 
blow  of  his  terrible  battle-axe  he  broke  the  prince's  right 
arm ;  then  with  a  stroke  of  his  two-edged  sword  he  cleft 
his  helmet,  at  the  same  time  cutting  his  face,  and  so 
disfiguring  it  that  when  the  prisoner  raised  the  muti- 
lated visor  of  his  helmet  before  the  emperor,  he  was 
obliged  to  give  his  name.  His  face  was  one  terrible 
wound. 

A  month  before  this,  Fra^ois  I.  on  his  death-bed  had 
said  to  his  son  that  all  the  misfortunes  of  France  had 
come  from  his  alliance  with  the  Protestants  and  Turks ; 
and  avowing  that  Charles  V.  had  Almighty  God  on  his 
side,  he  had  advised  the  future  king  to  live  in  peace  with 
the  emperor. 

Upon  the  death  of  Fra^ois  I.  a  brief  period  of  inac- 
tivity ensued,  of  which  Emmanuel  took  advantage  to  pay 
his  father  a  visit  at  Vercelli.  The  interview  was  full  of 
tenderness  and  affection,  —  doubtless  by  reason  of  a  pre- 
sentiment on  the  duke's  part,  that  he  was  embracing  his 
son  for  the  last  time. 

FranQois  I.'s  advice  to  Henri  II.  made  but  little  im- 
pression on  the  mind  of  this  king,  who,  without  military 
genius,  had  a  passion  for  war ;  and  after  the  assassination 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  117 

of  the  Due  de  Plaisance,  that  Paul  Lodovico  Farnese, 
eldest  son  of  Paul  III.,  of  whom  we  have  already  spoken, 
war  broke  out  afresh  in  Italy. 

The  duke  was  assassinated  at  Plaisance,  in  1548,  by 
Pallavicini,  Landi,  Anguisola,  and  Gonfalouieri,  who,  im- 
mediately after  the  assassination,  delivered  up  the  town 
to  Ferdinand  di  Gonzaga,  governor  of  the  Milanese  under 
Charles  V. 

On  the  other  hand,  Ottavio  Farnese,  second  son  of 
Paul  III.,  had  seized  upon  Parma,  and  that  he  might  not 
be  obliged  to  give  it  up,  had  invoked  the  protection  of 
King  Henri  II. 

Now,  during  the  lifetime  of  Paul  Lodovico,  Charles  V. 
had  always  claimed  Parma  and  Plaisance,  as  cities  be- 
longing to  the  duchy  of  Milan.  This  was  the  subject  of 
their  contention  at,  Nice  with  Pope  Paul  III. 

Nothing  more  was  necessary  to  incite  war,  which  broke 
out  at  the  same  time  in  Italy  and  the  Netherlands. 

It  was  in  Flanders,  as  before,  that  Charles  V.  united 
his  forces ;  therefore  our  eyes  naturally  turned  to  the 
North  to  search  for  Emmanuel  Philibert  at  the  beginning 
of  this  book. 

We  have  related  how  after  the  siege  of  Metz  and  the 
capture  of  Therouanne  and  Hesdin,  the  emperor,  while 
charging  his  nephew  to  rebuild  this  last  city,  had  ap- 
pointed him  general-in-chief  of  his  army  in  Flanders,  and 
governor  of  the  Netherlands.  Then,  as  if  to  counter- 
balance this  great  honor,  a  supreme  sorrow  had  over- 
whelmed Emmanuel  Philibert.  His  father,  the  Duke  of 
Savoy,  had  died  on  the  17th  of  September,  1553. 

It  is  in  this  capacity  of  general-in-chief,  and  with  that 
sorrow  at  the  death  of  his  father,  if  not  expressed  in  his 
dress,  at  least,  like  that  of  Hamlet,  imprinted  on  his  face, 
that  we  have  seen  him  set  out  from  the  imperial  camp; 


118  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

and  it  is  after  exacting  respect  for  his  authority,  like 
Romulus  of  old,  that  we  see  him  returning. 

A  messenger  from  Charles  V.  was  waiting  before  his 
tent ;  the  emperor  desired  to  speak  with  him  instantly. 

Emmanuel  sprang  to  the  ground,  flung  the  bridle  to 
one  of  his  followers,  and  assuring  with  a  nod  his  squire 
and  page  that  he  would  return  immediately  after  his 
interview  with  the  emperor,  unfastened  his  sword-belt, 
put  his  sword  under  his  arm,  as  was  his  custom  when  on 
foot,  — so  that  if  it  were  necessary  to  unsheathe  his  sword, 
the  hilt  would  be  within  reach  of  his  hand,  —  and  took 
his  way  to  the  tent  of  the  modern  Caesar. 

The  sentry  presented  arms,  and  he  entered  preceded 
by  the  messenger,  who  went  to  announce  him  to  the 
emperor. 

The  emperor's  tent  was  divided  into  four  compart- 
ments, without  counting  a  sort  of  antechamber,  or  rather 
portico,  sustained  by  four  pillars.  These  four  compart- 
ments served,  respectively,  for  dining-room,  drawing-room, 
bedroom,  and  study.  Each  one  had  been  furnished  by 
gift  of  some  city;  and  was  ornamented  by  a  trophy  of 
some  victory. 

The  only  trophy  in  the  emperor's  bedchamber  was  the 
sword  of  Frangois  I.,  which  hung  by  the  head  of  his  bed. 
This  was  a  very  simple  trophy,  but  it  had  more  value  in 
the  eyes  of  Charles  V.  —  who  carried  this  sword  with 
him  to  the  monastery  of  Saint-Just — than  all  the  tro- 
phies of  the  other  rooms  put  together. 

The  writer  of  these  lines  has  often  held  and  drawn, 
with  sad  and  melancholy  glance  backward  into  the  past, 
this  sword  possessed  by  Fra^ois  L,  who  surrendered  it,  by 
Charles  V.,  who  captured  it,  and  by  Napoleon,  who  took 
it  again.  How  insignificant  are  the  things  of  this  world  ! 
That  sword,  after  being  almost  the  only  dowry  of  a  fallen 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  119 

princess,  is  to-day  the  property  of  a  servant  of  Cathe- 
rine II.  !  0  Fransois  I. !  0  Charles  V.  !  0  Napoleon  ! 

In  the  antechamber,  although  he  had  only  passed 
through  it,  Emmanuel  Philibert  —  with  that  practised 
eye  which  sees  everything  at  a  glance  — observed  a  man 
whose  hands  were  bound  behind  his  back  and  who  was 
guarded  by  four  soldiers.  He  was  dressed  in  peasant's 
clothes;  but  as  his  head  was  uncovered,  Emmanuel  Phili- 
bert thought  that  neither  his  hair  nor  his  skin  was  in 
keeping  with  his  dress.  He  thought  that  he  must  be  a 
French  spy  who  had  just  been  arrested  and  with  regard 
to  whom  the  emperor  had  sent  for  him. 

Charles  V.  was  in  his  study,  and  the  duke  was  imme- 
diately conducted  to  him. 

Charles  V.,  born  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, was  at  this  time  a  man  fifty-five  years  of  age,  who, 
although  short,  was  powerfully  built,  and  whose  keen 
eyes  sparkled  beneath  his  eyebrows,  whenever  pain  did 
not  obscure  their  light.  His  hair  was  turning  gray  ;  but 
his  beard,  thick  rather  than  long,  was  still  fiery  red. 

He  was  lying  upon  a  sort  of  Turkish  divan  covered 
with  stuffs  from  the  Orient  captured, in  Soliman's  tent 
before  Vienna.  Within  reach  of  his  hand  glittered  a 
trophy  of  poniards  and  Arab  cimeters.  He  was  envel- 
oped in  a  long  dressing-gown  of  black  velvet,  lined  with 
sable.  The  expression  of  his  countenance  was  gloomy, 
and  he  appeared  to  await  with  impatience  the  arrival  of 
Emmanuel  Philibert.  When  the  duke  was  announced, 
however,  this  expression  of  impatience  instantly  disap- 
peared, as  a  cloud  which  obscures  the  light  of  the  sun  is 
dispelled  by  a  breath  of  the  north  wind. 

During  his  forty  years'  reign  the  emperor  had  learned 
the  art  of  controlling  his  countenance,  and  it  must  be 
confessed  that  no  one  could  be  more  skilled  in  that 


120  THE  DUKE'S   PAGE. 

art  than  he ;  but  at  the  first  glance  Emmanuel  under- 
stood that  the  emperor  had  serious  matters  under 
consideration. 

Charles  V.,  on  perceiving  his  nephew,  turned  toward 
him,  and  making  an  effort  to  change  his  position,  he 
nodded  a  friendly  welcome.  Emmanuel  Philibert  bowed 
respectfully. 

The  emperor  began  the  conversation  in  Italian.  He 
who  regretted  all  his  life  that  he  had  never  been  able  to 
learn  Latin  or  Greek,  spoke  equally  well  five  modern  lan- 
guages :  Italian,  Spanish,  English,  Flemish,  and  French. 
He  himself  explained  the  use  he  made  of  these  five  differ- 
ent languages.  "  I  learned  Italian,"  he  said,  "  in  order 
to  converse  with  the  pope;  Spanish,  in  which  to  talk 
with  my  mother  Jeanne ;  English,  to  use  when  with  my 
aunt  Catherine  ;  Flemish,  for  intercourse  with  my  fel- 
low-citizens and  friends ;  finally,  French,  for  talking  to 
myself." 

However  urgent  might  be  his  business  with  those 
whom  he  summoned  to  wait  upon  him,  the  emperor 
always  began  by  making  some  remarks  relative  to  their 
own  affairs.  "Well, "he  asked  in  Italian,  "what  news 
from  the  camp1?" 

"Sire,"  replied  Emmanuel  Philibert,  in  the  same  lan- 
guage Charles  V.  had  used,  and  which,  moreover,  was  his 
maternal  tongue,  "  something  has  occurred,  the  tidings  of 
which  would  soon  reach  you  if  I  did  not  bring  them  my- 
self. In  order  to  enforce  respect  for  my  position  and 
your  authority,  I  have  been  obliged  to  vindicate  them  by 
an  example  of  justice." 

"  An  example  of  justice  ! "  repeated  the  emperor  ab- 
sently, already  preoccupied  with  his  own  thoughts ;  "  and 
what  was  that  ? " 

Emmanuel  Philibert  began  the  story  of  his  affair  with 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  121 

Count  "VYaldeck.  But  it  was  evident  that  Charles  V. 
was  listening  only  with  his  ears ;  his  thoughts  were 
elsewhere. 

"  Good  !  "  he  said  for  the  third  time,  when  Emman- 
uel Philibert  had  finished ;  but,  plunged  in  his  own 
thoughts,  he  probably  had  not  heard  a  word  of  his  gen- 
eral's report.  Indeed,  during  the  whole  narration  the 
emperor,  no  doubt  to  conceal  his  preoccupation,  had  been 
watching  the  fingers  of  his  right  hand  while  trying  to 
move  them,  which  he  did  with  difficulty,  so  twisted  and 
deformed  were  they  with  the  gout. 

The  gout  was  Charles  V.'s  real  enemy,  as  bitter 
against  him  in  its  way  as  Solimau,  Francois  I.,  and 
Henri  II.  The  gout  and  Luther  were  the  two  demons 
constantly  with  him,  and  he  put  them  both  in  the  same 
category. 

"Ah,  if  it  were  not  for  Luther  and  my  gout,"  he  would 
say,  stroking  his  red  beard  as  he  dismounted  from  his 
horse,  broken  up  by  the  fatigue  of  a  long  ride  or  of  a 
hard-fought  battle,  —  "  ah,  if  it  were  not  for  Luther  and 
my  gout,  how  I  should  sleep  to-night ! " 

There  was  a  short  silence  between  Emmanuel's  narra- 
tion and  the  renewal  of  the  conversation  by  the  emperor ; 
but  at~length,  turning  to  his  nephew,  he  said,  "  I  also 
have  news  to  give  you,  and  bad  news !  " 

"  Whence,  your  Majesty  1 " 

"  From  Rome." 

"  The  pope  has  been  elected  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  And  his  name  1 " 

"  Pietro  Caraffa.  He  whose  place  he  fills  was  exactly 
of  my  age,  Emmanuel,  —  born  in  the  same  year  as  I,  — 
Marcellus  II.  Poor  Marcellus  !  does  not  his  death  warn 
me  to  prepare  to  leave  this  world  1 " 


122  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Sire,"  said  Emmanuel,  "  I  think  you  should  not 
dwell  upon  this  event,  or  look  upon  Pope  Marcellus's  death 
as  you  would  upon  that  of  an  ordinary  mortal.  Mar- 
cellus  Cervini  was  healthy  and  robust,  and  probably 
would  have  lived  a  hundred  years  as  cardinal ;  but  when 
the  Cardinal  Marcellus  Cervini  became  Pope  Marcellus  II., 
he  died  in  twenty  days ! " 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  replied  Charles  V.,  thoughtfully ; 
"  the  anxieties  of  his  office  were  too  much  for  him. 
He  was  crowned  with  the  tiara  on  Good  Friday,  the 
same  day  on  which  our  Lord  was  crowned  with  thorns. 
That  must  have  brought  him  misfortune.  But  I  am 
less  concerned  at  his  death  than  at  the  election  of 
Paul  IV." 

"  And  yet,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  Sire,"  said  Emmanuel 
Philibert,  "  Paul  IV.  is  a  Neapolitan,  —  that  is  to  say,  a 
subject  of  your  Majesty?" 

"  Yes,  certainly ;  but  I  have  always  heard  evil  reports 
of  that  cardinal,  and  while  he  was  at  the  court  of  Spain  I 
myself  had  trouble  with  him.  Ah,"  continued  Charles  V., 
with  an  expression  of  fatigue,  "  I  must  renew  with  him 
the  struggle  which  I  have  maintained  with  his  predeces- 
sors for  twenty  years,  and  for  which  I  have  no  longer  the 
strength." 

"  Oh,  Sire  ! " 

Charles  V.  fell  into  a  revery,  from  which  he  almost 
immediately  roused  himself.  "And  to  be  sure,"  he 
added,  as  if  speaking  to  himself,  and  sighing,  "  perhaps  I 
may  be  mistaken  in  regard  to  this  man  as  in  the  case  of 
other  popes ;  they  are  almost  always  different  from  what 
they  were  as  cardinals.  I  believed  Clement  II.  to  be  a 
peaceable  man,  courageous,  and  loyal.  Well,  the  moment 
he  becomes  pope,  he  finds  fault  with  me  at  every  turn ; 
his  disposition  becomes  restless,  fickle,  and  meddlesome. 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  123 

On  the  contrary,  I  supposed  that  Julius  III.  would  neg- 
lect business  for  pleasure,  that  he  would  devote  himself 
to  sports  and  fetes ;  peccato  !  never  was  a  pope  more  dili- 
gent, more  attentive  to  business,  or  more  indifferent  to 
the  pleasures  of  this  world  than  he  !  What  trouble  they 
gave  us  in  that  matter  of  the  marriage  of  Philippe  II. 
with  his  cousin  Mary  Tudor  !  If  we  had  not  stopped 
that  mad  Cardinal  Pole  at  Augsburg,  who  knows  whether 
the  marriage  would  ever  have  been  consummated  1  Ah, 
poor  Marcellus ! "  said  the  emperor,  with  a  heavier  sigh 
than  before,  "  it  is  not  necessary  to  ascribe  to  the  date  of 
your  coronation  day  (Good  Friday)  the  fact  that  you 
survived  your  throning  only  twenty  days  ;  it  was  enough 
that  you  were  my  friend  !  " 

"  Time  will  show,  august  Emperor,"  said  Emmanuel 
Philibert ;  "  your  Majesty  admits  having  been  mistaken 
as  to  Clement  VII.  and  Julius  III.,  and  you  may  be 
agreeably  disappointed  in  Paul  IV." 

"  God  grant  it  may  be  so,  but  I  doubt  it." 

A  noise  was  heard  outside. 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ? "  demanded  Charles  V., 
impatiently.  "  I  gave  orders  that  we  were  not  to  be  dis- 
turbed. See  what  is  wanted,  Emmanuel." 

The  duke  raised  the  portiere,  and  after  communicating 
with  some  person  in  the  next  room,  turned  toward  the 
emperor,  saying,  "  Sire,  it  is  a  messenger  from  Spain,  — 
from  Tordesillas." 

"  Oh,  let  him  come  in,  my  boy ;  he  probably  brings 
news  from  my  mother." 

The  messenger  made  his  appearance. 

"  You  bring  news  of  my  mother,  do  you  not  ? "  said 
Charles  V.  in  Spanish  to  the  messenger. 

The  messenger,  without  answering,  handed  a  letter  to 
Emmanuel  Philibert,  who  took  it. 


124  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Give  it  to  me,  Emmanuel,  give  it  to  me.  She  is  well, 
is  she  not  ? " 

The  messenger  was  silent;  and  Emmanuel  hesitated 
about  giving  the  letter  to  Charles  V.,  for  he  observed  that 
it  was  sealed  with  black.  Charles  V.  also  saw  it  and 
shuddered. 

"  Ha!"  he  said,  "this  is  the  first  misfortune  to  follow 
Paul  IV.'s  election.  Give  it  to  me,  my  boy,"  he  con- 
tinued, extending  his  hand  to  Emmanuel. 

Emmanuel  obeyed  ;  to  hesitate  longer  would  be  puerile. 

"  Sire,"  he  said,  handing  the  letter  to  Charles  V.,  "re- 
member that  you  are  a  man." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Charles  V.,  "  that  is  what  was  said  to 
the  ancient  conquerors."  And  trembling  all  over,  he 
opened  the  letter.  It  contained  but  a  few  lines. 

Tears  dimmed  his  sight ;  his  faded  eyes,  dried  up  by 
ambition,  were  themselves  astonished  at  this  miracle 
which  renewed  their  acquaintance  with  tears.  When  he 
had  finished  he  handed  the  letter  to  Emmanuel  Philibert, 
and  sinking  down  upon  his  couch,  said,  "Dead  !  she  died 
on  the  13th  of  April,  1555,  the  very  day  of  Caraffa's 
coronation  !  Ah,  my  son,  I  told  you  that  that  man  would 
bring  me  misfortune  !  " 

Emmanuel  glanced  over  the  letter,  which  was  signed 
by  the  royal  notary  of  Tordesillas,  and  announced  the 
death  of  Charles  V.'s  mother,  Joanna  of  Castile,  better 
known  in  history  by  the  name  of  Joanna  the  Mad.  He 
stood  a  moment  motionless  in  the  presence  of  this  great 
sorrow,  —  which  he  could  not  alleviate,  for  Charles  V. 
worshipped  his  mother.  "  Sire,"  he  murmured  at  last, 
"  recall  what  you  so  kindly  said  to  me,  when,  two  years 
ago,  I  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  my  father." 

"  Yes  ;  one  says  those  things,"  replied  the  em- 
peror. "  We  can  always  find  consolation  for  others,  but 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  125 

when  our  turn  comes,  we  are  powerless  to  console  our- 
selves." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  not  try  to  console  you,  Sire,"  said 
Emmanuel.  "  On  the  contrary,  I  will  say,  '  Weep,  weep, 
you  are  only  a  man  ! ' ' 

"  How  unhappy  a  life  hers  was,  Emmanuel ! "  said 
Charles  V.  "  In  1496  she  married  my  father  Philippe  le 
Beau,  whom  she  adored ;  in  1506  he  died,  poisoned  by  a 
glass  of  water  which  he  drank  while  playing  tennis  ;  and 
she  became  mad  from  grief.  During  ten  years  she  was 
constantly  expecting  my  father's  resurrection,  which  to 
console  her  a  Carthusian  friar  had  promised  her ;  and  for 
ten  years  she  never  went  out  of  Tordesillas,  except  when, 
in  1516,  she  met  me  at  Villa- Viciosa,  and  with  her  own 
hand  placed  the  crown  of  Spain  upon  my  head.  Insane 
with  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  her  husband,  her  reason  re- 
turned at  times  on  any  occurrence  of  interest  to  her  son. 
Poor  mother  !  Certainly  my  whole  reign  will  bear  wit- 
ness to  my  respect  for  her.  For  forty  years  I  have  under- 
taken nothing  in  Spain  without  taking  counsel  with  her ; 
she  was  not  always  able  to  advise  me,  but  it  was  ray  duty 
to  consult  her,  and  I  did  so.  Do  you  know  that,  Span- 
iard of  the  Spaniards  as  she  was,  at  the  time  of  my  birth 
she  came  to  Flanders  to  be  confined,  so  that  I  might  one 
day  become  emperor  in  the  place  of  my  grandfather  Max- 
imilian ?  Do  you  know  that,  strong  as  was  her  maternal 
instinct,  she  denied  herself  the  pleasure  of  nursing  me, 
lest,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  that  I  had  suckled  her 
milk,  I  might  be  accused  of  being  too  much  Spanish  1 
And,  indeed,  my  having  been  the  foster-child  of  Anno 
Sterel  and  a  citizen  of  Ghent  are  my  two  principal  titles 
to  the  imperial  crown.  Well,  from  before  the  time  of  my 
birth,  all  that  had  been  provided  for  by  my  mother. 
What  can  I  do  for  her  now  after  her  death  1  Give  her 


126  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

magnificent  funeral  ceremonies?  She  shall  have  them. 
But  to  be  Emperor  of  Germany,  King  of  Spain,  Naples, 
Sicily,  and  the  two  ludies,  to  be  ruler  over  an  empire  on 
which  the  sun  never  sets,  as  my  flatterers  say,  and  yet 
powerless  to  do  anything  for  a  dead  mother  except  to 
provide  for  her  magnificent  obsequies !  —  ah,  Emmanuel, 
the  power  of  the  most  powerful  man  is  circumscribed 
indeed  !  " 

At  this  moment  the  portiere  was  drawn  again,  and  dis 
closed  an  officer  covered  with  dust,  and  who  seemed  to 
be  the  bearer  of  important  tidings.  The  expression  of 
the  emperor's  countenance  was  so  sad  that  the  usher, 
who  realizing  the  importance  of  the  tidings  brought  by 
this  third  messenger  had,  contrary  to  etiquette,  con- 
ducted him  to  Charles  V.'s  study,  stopped  him  short ; 
but  Charles  V.  had  already  seen  the  officer  covered  with 
dust. 

"  Come  in,"  he  said  in  Flemish,  "  what  do  you  want  ? " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  officer,  bowing,  "  King 
Henri  II.  has  taken  the  field  with  three  different  divi- 
sions of  his  army,  —  the  first  under  his  own  command 
and  that  of  Constable  de  Montmorency,  the  second  under 
Marechal  de  Saint-Andre,  and  the  third  under  Due  de 
Nevers." 

"Well,  what  else1?"  asked  the  emperor. 

"  The  King  of  France  has  besieged  and  taken  Marien- 
bourg,  and  is  now  marching  upon  Bouviues." 

"  And  on  what  day  did  he  lay  siege  to  Marienbourg  ? " 

"On  the  13th  of  April,  your  Majesty.'' 

"  Well,"  said  Charles  V.,  in  French,  and  turning  to 
Emmanuel,  "what  do  you  say  to  the  date?" 

"  It  is  a  fatal  one,  indeed  ! " 

"  That  will  do,  Monsieur,"  said  Charles  V.  to  the 
messenger;  "you  may  go."  Then  he  said  to  the  usher, 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  127 

"  Let  that  gentleman  be  cared  for  as  if  he  were  the 
bearer  of  good  news.  Go  !  " 

This  time  Emmanuel  did  not  wait  to  be  questioned. 
Even  before  the  curtain  had  closed,  he  said  :  "Fortu- 
nately, august  Emperor,  although  we  cannot  help  the  elec- 
tion of  Paul  IV.,  although  we  cannot  prevent  the  death 
of  your  beloved  mother,  at  least  we  can  do  something  to 
redeem  the  capture  of  Marienbourg. " 

"  And  what  can  we  do  1 " 

"  Retake  it,  pardieu  !  " 

"  Yes,  you  may,  Emmanuel,  but  not  I." 

"  Why  not  you,  your  Majesty  ? " 

Charles  V.  slid  from  his  sofa  and  endeavored  to  walk, 
but  it  was  with  pain  and  difficulty  that  he  accomplished 
a  few  steps.  Then  shaking  his  head,  he  turned  toward 
his  nephew,  saying,  "  Look  at  my  legs,  Emmanuel ;  they 
will  no  longer  support  me  on  foot  or  on  horseback.  Look 
at  my  hands ;  they  can  no  longer  clasp  a  sword.  And  it 
is  my  opinion,  Emmanuel,  that  he  who  cannot  hold  a 
sword  is  not  fit  to  wield  a  sceptre." 

"  What  are  you  saying,  Sire  1 "  exclaimed  Emmanuel, 
in  astonishment. 

"  Something  which  I  have  been  contemplating,  and 
which  I  still  intend.  Emmanuel,  everything  warns  me 
that  it  is  time  to  resign  my  place  to  another.  The 
surprise  at  Innspruck,  where  I  was  obliged  to  fly  half 
naked  ;  the  retreat  from  Metz,  where  I  lost  a  third  of 
my  army  and  half  of  my  reputation  ;  and  finally,  you 
see,  this  terrible  disease,  which  no  human  strength  can 
resist,  which  medicine  cannot  cure,  —  this  cruel,  pitiless 
disease,  which  seizes  upon  the  whole  body  from  the  crown 
of  the  head  to  the  sole  of  the  foot,  which  contracts  the 
nerves  with  intolerable  pain,  which  penetrates  the  very 
bones,  freezes  the  marrow,  and  converts  into  solid  chalk 


128  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

that  beneficent  oil  deposited  in  our  joints  by  nature  to 
facilitate  their  motion,  —  this  enemy,  more  cruel  than  fire 
or  sword,  or  than  any  instrument  of  war,  and  which  de- 
stroys peace  of  mind  and  freedom  of  soul  through  mere 
excess  of  physical  suffering,  —  this  disease  cries  out  to  me 
incessantly  :  '  Enough  of  power  !  enough  of  sovereignty  ! 
Retire  into  obscurity  of  life  before  entering  the  darkness 
of  the  tomb  !  Charles,  by  divine  grace  Emperor  of  the 
Romans,  Charles  the  August,  Charles,  King  of  Germany, 
Castile,  Leon,  Grenada,  Aragon,  Naples,  Sicily,  Majorca, 
Sardinia,  the  Indies,  and  of  islands  both  of  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans,  make  way  for  another,  —  for  another  ! ' ' 

Emmanuel  was  about  to  speak,  but  the  emperor  stopped 
him  by  a  gesture. 

"  And  then  —  and  then,"  continued  Charles  V.,  "  there 
is  something  else  I  had  to  tell  you !  As  if  the  dissolu- 
tion of  this  poor  body  was  too  slow  for  the  wishes  of  my 
enemies,  —  as  if  I  had  not  suffering  enough  with  de- 
feats, heresies,  and  the  gout,  —  there  must  also  be  addea 
assassination  !  " 

"  What !  assassination  ? r>  exclaimed  Emmanuel. 

The  emperor's  face  clouded.  "  An  attempt  to  assassi- 
nate me  was  made  to-day,"  he  said. 

"  There  has  been  an  attempt  to  assassinate  your 
Majesty?"  said  Emmanuel,  in  terror. 

"  Why  not  1"  replied  Charles  V.,  with  a  smile.  "  Did 
you  not  tell  me  just  now  to  remember  that  I  was  a 
man  1 " 

"  Oh  !  "  cried  Emmanuel,  hardly  recovered  from  the 
emotion  caused  by  this  piece  of  news,  "  who  is  the 
villain  ]  " 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  the  emperor,  "that  is  the  question,  — 
who  is  the  villain  ?  I  have  the  poniard,  but  not  the 
hand." 


THE  THREE  MESSAGES.  129 

"  Iu  fact,  that  man  whom  I  saw  just  now  bound  in  the 
antechamber  —  " 

"  Is  the  villain,  as  you  call  him,  Emmanuel.  But  by 
whom  was  he  sent  ?  By  the  Turk  ?  I  do  not  believe  it. 
Soliman  is  a  loyal  enemy.  Henri  III.  1  I  do  not  even 
suspect  him.  Paul  IV."  ?  It  is  so  short  a  time  since  he 
was  elected,  —  and  then  the  popes,  they  generally  prefer 
poison  to  the  poniard  :  Ecclesia  abhorret  a  sanguine. 
Ottavio  Farnese  1  He  is  too  insignificant  a  fellow  to 
attack  me,  the  imperial  bird  which  Maurice  did  not  dare 
to  capture,  knowing,  as  he  said,  no  cage  strong  enough 
in  which  to  confine  it.  Is  he  the  tool  of  the  Lutherans 
of  Angsbourg,  or  the  Calvinists  of  Geneva  1  I  am  at  a 
loss,  but  I  would  give  much  to  know.  Listen,  Emman- 
uel; this  man  refuses  to  answer  any  questions.  Take 
him  to  your  tent,  —  I  hand  him  over  to  you ;  but  you 
understand  ?  —  he  must  be  made  to  speak.  The  mure 
important  an  enemy  is,  and  the  nearer  home,  the  more 
important  it  is  to  know  him."  Then,  after  a  moment's 
pause,  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon  Emmanuel  Philibert,  who 
was  looking  thoughtfully  upon  the  ground.  "  By  the 
way,"  he  said,  "  your  cousin  Philippe  II.  has  arrived  at 
Brussels." 

The  change  of  conversation  was  so  sudden  that  Em- 
manuel started.  He  looked  up  and  met  the  gaze  of  the 
emperor,  and  this  time  he  shuddered. 

«  Well  1 "  he  asked. 

"  Well,"  replied  Charles  V.,  "  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  my 
son  again !  Might  it  not  be  said  that  he  divines  that  the 
moment  is  favorable,  —  that  the  time  has  come  to  succeed 
me  1  But  before  I  see  him,  Emmanuel,  I  recommend  to 
your  care  my  assassin." 

"  In  an  hour,"  replied  Emmanuel,  "  your  Majesty  shall 
know  all  that  you  desire  to  know."  And  bowing  before 
VOL.  i.  —  9 


130  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  emperor,  who  held  out  his  maimed  hand,  Emmanuel 
withdrew,  convinced  that  the  event  of  which  Charles  V. 
had  spoken  only  by  way  of  supplement  to  the  conversa- 
tion was  really  the  one  to  which  he  attached  the  most 
importance. 


ODOARDO   MABAVIGLIA.  131 


CHAPTER   XL 

ODOAEDO    MARAVIGLIA. 

IN  withdrawing  through  the  antechamber,  Emmanuel 
looked  more  carefully  at  the  prisoner,  and  was  confirmed 
in  his  former  idea  that  he  had  to  deal  with  a  gentleman. 
He  beckoned  the  sergeant  to  approach,  and  said  to  him, 
"  My  friend,  by  the  emperor's  orders  you  are  to  bring 
this  man  to  my  tent  in  five  minutes." 

Emmanuel  did  not  need  to  use  Charles  V.'s  name; 
every  one  knew  that  the  latter  had  delegated  to  him  his 
authority,  and  as  a  general  thing  the  soldiers,  who  adored 
him,  obeyed  him  as  readily  as  they  obeyed  the  emperor 
himself. 

"  Your  order  shall  be  executed,  your  Highness,"  re- 
plied the  sergeant ;  and  the  duke  went  to  his  own  quar- 
ters. His  tent  was  not  like  the  emperor's,  —  a  splendid 
pavilion  divided  into  four  compartments ;  it  was  an  ordi- 
nary soldier's  tent  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  canvas  par- 
tition. Scianca-Ferro  was  seated  at  the  entrance. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,"  Emmanuel  said  to  him,  "  but 
take  a  weapon  of  some  sort." 

"  What  for  1 "  asked  Scianca-Ferro. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  a  man  who  has  attempted  to  assas- 
sinate the  emperor  will  be  brought  here  ;  I  am  going  to 
examine  him  alone.  Notice  him  when  he  comes  in ;  and 
if  he  tries  to  escape  after  giving  me  his  word  of  honor, 
stop  him,  —  but  alive,  you  understand  1  It  is  important 
to  take  him  alive." 


132  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Then,"  said  Scianca-Ferro,  "  I  do  not  see  that  I  need 
any  weapon  at  all ;  my  arms  will  be  sufficient." 

"  As  you  like  ;  only  stop  him." 

"  Never  fear,"  said  Scianca-Ferro. 

Scianca-Ferro  had  continued  on  terms  of  intimacy  with 
his  foster-brother ;  or  rather  the  latter,  faithful  to  the 
traditions  of  his  youth,  had  required  Scianca-Ferro  to 
treat  him  familiarly. 

The  prince  entered  his  tent,  and  found  Leona  waiting  for 
him.  As  he  was  alone,  and  as  the  curtain  of  the  tent  had 
closed  after  him,  Leona  came  to  meet  him  with  open  arms. 
"  Here  you  are  at  last,  my  dear  !  "\Vhat  a  terrible  scene 
we  passed  through  this  morning  !  Alas,  you  were  right 
in  saying  that  from  my  paleness  and  emotion  I  might  be 
taken  for  a  woman." 

"  Yes,  Leoua ;  and  yet  such  scenes  are  common  in  a 
soldier's  life,  and  yoa  ought  to  be  accustomed  to  them  by 
this  time."  Then,  with  a  smile,  be  added,  "  Take  an 
example  from  Scianca-Ferro." 

"  How  can  you  say  such  things,  even  in  joke,  Em- 
manuel 1  Scianca-Ferro  is  a  man.  He  loves  you  as 
•well  as  one  man  can  love  another,  I  know  ;  but  my  love 
for  you,  Emmanuel,  is  inexpressible ;  it  is  something  I 
could  not  live  without !  I  love  you  as  the  flower  loves 
the  dew,  as  the  bird  the  woods,  as  the  dawn  the  sun. 
With  you,  I  live,  I  love !  Without  you,  I  live  no 
longer !  " 

"  My  dear  Leona,"  said  Emmanuel,  "  I  know  very  well 
that  you  are  all  devotion  and  love.  I  know  that  although 
you  are  by  my  side,  you  really  are  one  with  me.  It  is 
for  this  reason  that  I  have  neither  reserve  nor  secrets 
from  you." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  ? "  % 

"  Because  a  man  who  is  a  great  criminal  will  soon  be 


ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA.  133 

brought  here  for  me  to  examine  ;  because,  perhaps,  the 
revelations  he  will  make  may  compromise  even  crowned 
heads.  Go  to  the  other  part  of  my  tent.  You  may 
listen,  if  you  wish  ;  it  is  the  same  as  if  I  alone  heard  it." 

Leona  slightly  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  You  are  the 
only  person  in  the  world  to  me,"  she  said  ;  and  kissing  her 
hand  to  her  lover,  she  retired  behind  the  partition.  She 
was  just  in  time.  The  five  minutes  were  up;  and  with  a 
very  military  punctuality,  the  sergeant  arrived,  bringing 
his  prisoner. 

Emmanuel  received  him  seated,  and  half  hidden  in  the 
shadow,  looking  out  of  which  he  saw  the  assassin  for  the 
third  time  ;  but  this  time  his  gaze  was  long  and  searching. 

The  prisoner  was  a  man  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  years 
old,  tall,  and  so  distinguished  in  appearance  that  Emman- 
uel had  instantly  recognized  him  as  a  gentleman,  in  spite 
of  his  disguise. 

"  Leave  Monsieur  alone  with  me,"  said  the  prince  to 
the  sergeant. 

As  the  sergeant  went  out  with  his  three  men,  the  pris- 
oner fixed  his  keen  eye  upon  Emmanuel  Philibert,  who 
went  straight  up  to  him. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  the  duke,  "  the  soldiers  did  not  per- 
ceive your  rank,  and  they  have  bound  you.  You  will 
give  me  your  word  of  honor  as  a  gentleman  that  you  will 
not  try  to  escape,  and  I  will  untie  your  hands." 

"  I  am  a  peasant,  and  not  a  gentleman,"  answered  the 
assassin,  "  and  therefore  I  cannot  give  you  my  word  of 
honor  as  a  gentleman." 

"  If  you  are  a  peasant,  then  you  will  not  bind  yourself 
to  anything  by  giving  your  word  as  a  gentleman.  Do  so, 
then,  for  it  is  the  only  pledge  I  ask  of  you." 

The  prisoner  made  no  answer. 

"  Then,"  said  Emmanuel,  "  I  shall  loosen  your  hands 


134  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

without  your  word  of  honor.  I  am  not  afraid  to  be  alone 
with  any  man,  whether  he  has  pledged  his  word  or  not." 
And  the  duke  began  to  untie  his  hands. 

The  stranger  started  back.  "  Wait !  "  he  said.  "  On 
the  word  of  a  gentleman  I  will  not  try  to  escape." 

v  Ah ! "  said  Emmanuel  Philibert,  smiling,  "dogs,  horses, 
and  men  can  recognize  one  another;"  and  he  finished 
untying  the  cord.  "  There,  you  are  free ;  now  let  us 
talk." 

The  prisoner  looked  down  indifferently  at  his  hands  cut 
by  the  cords  ;  then  letting  them  fall  by  his  side,  said 
ironically,  "  Let  us  talk  1  And  what  about  ] " 

"About  the  motives  that  led  you  to  commit  this 
crime." 

"I  have  said  nothing,"  replied  the  unknown,  "and  I 
have  nothing  to  say." 

"You  said  nothing  to  the  emperoi',  whom  you  in- 
tended to  kill,  —  that  is  but  natural ;  you  said  nothing  to 
the  soldiers  who  arrested  you,  —  I  can  understand  that ; 
but  to  me,  a  gentleman  who  treats  you  not  as  a  common 
assassin  but  as  a  gentleman,  you  will  tell  everything." 

"  Of  what  use  would  it  be  1 " 

"  Of  what  use  1  I  will  tell  you,  Monsieur.  It  will  pre- 
vent my  looking  upon  you  as  a  man  hired  by  some  coward 
to  commit  a  crime  which  he  did  not  dare  to  perpetrate 
himself.  Of  what  use  1  It  will  enable  you  to  be  be- 
headed like  a  gentleman,  instead  of  being  hanged  like  a 
thief  and  an  assassin." 

"  They  threatened  me  with  the  torture  to  make  me 
speak.  Let  them  try  !  " 

"  The  torture  would  be  a  useless  cruelty.  You  would 
submit  to  it  without  speaking ;  you  would  be  mutilated 
without  being  conquered  ;  you  would  keep  your  secret  and 
leave  the  shame  to  your  tormentors.  No;  that  is  not 


ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA.  135 

what  I  wish.  I-  wish  for  confidence  and  truth  ;  I  wish 
you  to  speak  to  me,  a  gentleman,  general,  and  prince,  as 
you  would  to  your  confessor ;  and  if  you  think  me  un- 
worthy your  confidence,  it  is  because  you  are  one  of 
those  scoundrels  with  whom  I  am  unwilling  to  confound 
you,  and  because  the  deed  which  you  attempted  was 
prompted  by  some  base  passion  which  you  dare  not  con- 
fess ;  it  is  because  —  " 

The  prisoner  drew  himself  up,  and  interrupting  Em- 
manuel, said,  "  My  name  is  Odoardo  Maraviglia,  Mon- 
sieur! Refresh  your  memory,  and  insult  me  no  longer." 

At  the  name  of  Odoardo  Maraviglia,  Emmanuel  heard 
something  like  a  stifled  cry  in  the  other  room  of  the  tent, 
but  supposed  it  to  be  the  slight  noise  made  by  some 
object  grazing  the  canvas  partition.  And  the  memories 
which  crowded  on  his  mind  at  hearing  this  name  left 
him  little  time  to  think  of  other  things,  for  the  name  of 
Maraviglia  had  been  the  pretext  for  the  war  which  had 
despoiled  him  of  his  estates. 

"  Odoardo  Maraviglia  !  "  he  said.  "  Is  it  possible  that 
you  are  the  son  of  the  ambassador  from  France  to  Milan  ; 
the  son  of  Francesco  Maraviglia  ?  " 

"  I  am  his  son." 

Emmanuel  went  back  in  thought  to  his  early  youth. 
The  name  was  familiar  to  him,  but  it  threw  no  light  on 
the  present  situation. 

"  Your  name  is  certainly  that  of  a  gentleman,"  said 
Emmanuel,  "  but  it  brings  to  my  mind  no  circumstance 
which  bears  in  any  way  upon  this  crime  of  which  you  are 
accused." 

Odoardo  smiled  disdainfully.  "Ask  the  most  august 
emperor  if  his  memory  is  as  blank  as  yours." 

"Excuse  me,  Monsieur,"  said  Emmanuel,  "but  at  the 
time  Comte  Francesco  Maraviglia  disappeared  I  was  but 


136  THK  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

a  child  scai-cely  eight  years  old ;  it  is  not,  therefore, 
strange  that  I  am  ignorant  of  the  details  of  an  affair 
which,  as  I  think  I  recall,  remained  a  mystery  to  the 
whole  world." 

"  Well,  Monsieur,  I  will  elucidate  this  mystery.  You 
know  how  that  contemptible  Prince  Sforza  was  always 
vacillating  between  Frangois  I.  and  Charles  V.  according 
as  the  God  of  victory  favored  the  one  or  the  other.  My 
father,  Francesco  Maraviglia,  was  sent  envoy  extraordi- 
nary from  Fran9ois  I.  to  the  court  of  Sforza.  This  was  in 
1534.  The  emperor  was  in  Africa;  the  Duke  of  Saxony, 
an  ally  of  Francois  I.,  had  just  made  peace  with  the  King 
of  the  Romans;  Clement  VII.,  another  ally  of  France, 
had  just  excommunicated  Henry  VIII.,  King  of  England  ; 
in  fact,  the  whole  current  of  events  in  Italy  was  against 
Charles.  Sforza  abandoned  Charles  V.,  to  whom  he  still 
owed  four  hundred  thousand  ducats,  and  placed  his  po- 
litical fortunes  in  the  hands  of  the  envoy  extraordinary 
of  Frangois  I. 

"  This  was  a  great  triumph,  of  which  Francesco  Mara- 
viglia had  the  imprudence  to  boast.  His  words  were  car- 
ried across  the  sea,  reached  Charles  V.  at  Tunis,  and 
made  him  tremble. 

"  But  alas,  fortune  is  changeable  !  Two  months  after, 
Clement  VII.,  who  was  the  main  dependence  of  the 
French  in  Italy,  died  ;  and  Tunis  fell  before  the  arms  of 
the  emperor,  who  led  his  victorious  army  back  to  Italy. 
It  was  necessary  to  find  an  expiatory  victim,  and  Fran- 
cesco Maraviglia  was  destined  to  be  the  one.  It  hap- 
pened that  a  quarrel  arose  between  the  servants  of 
Comte  Maraviglia  and  some  of  the  Milanese,  in  which 
two  of  the  latter  were  killed.  The  duke  was  only  wait- 
ing for  a  pretext  to  fulfil  his  promise  to  the  emperor. 
The  man  who  for  more  than  a  year  had  been  more  the 


ODOARDO   MARAVIGLIA.  137 

master  of  Milan  than  the  duke  himself,  was  arrested  as  a 
common  malefactor  and  thrown  into  prison. 

"  My  mother  and  sister,  a  child  four  years  of  age, 
were  in  Milan  with  my  father ;  I,  being  one  of  the  pages 
of  Francois  I.,  remained  in  Paris.  They  dragged  my 
father  from  my  mother's  arms  without  telling  the  poor 
woman  why  he  was  arrested  or  where  they  were  taking 
him.  A  week  passed,  during  which  the  countess  tried  in 
vain  every  plan  she  could  devise  to  discover  what  had 
become  of  her  husband.  They  knew  Maraviglia  to  bo 
immensely  rich,  and  feared  that  his  wife  might  buy 
his  liberty. 

"  One  night  a  man  knocked  at  the  door  of  my  father's 
palace  and  asked  to  speak  to  the  countess  in  private. 
Under  the  circumstances  everything  was  important ;  my 
mother  had  caused  it  to  be  understood  throughout  the 
city  that  she  would  give  five  hundred  ducats  to  whomso- 
ever would  let  her  know,  by  means  designated  by  her, 
the  whereabouts  of  her  husband.  Possibly  this  man  who 
wished  to  speak  with  her  alone  might  bring  tidings  of  her 
husband,  and  fearing  betrayal  wished  by  a  private  inter- 
view to  insure  secrecy. 

"  She  was  not  mistaken  in  her  conjecture.  The  man 
was  one  of  the  jailers  of  the  fortress  of  Milan,  whither 
my  father  had  been  conveyed  ;  he  brought  not  only  in- 
formation of  the  place  where  my  father  was  confined,  but 
also  a  letter  from  him.  My  mother  paid  the  five  hun- 
dred ducats  when  she  recognized  the  handwriting. 

"  My  father's  letter  announced  his  arrest  and  his  soli 
tary  confinement,  but  did  not  betray  serious  anxiety. 
My  mother  answered,  begging  him  to  tell  her  what  to  do, 
and  saying  that  her  life  and  her  fortune  were  at  his  ser- 
vice. Five  nights  after  this,  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
the  man  returned,  and  having  given  his  signal,  was 


138  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

admitted  to  the  countess.  The  situation  of  the  prisoner 
looked  more  serious  ;  he  had  been  removed  to  a  different 
cell,  where  he  was  kept  in  the  utmost  secrecy.  The 
jailer  said  that  his  life  was  in  danger. 

"Was  it  this  man's  purpose  to  wring  from  the  countess 
a  lai'ge  sum  of  money,  or  was  he  telling  the  truth  1  One 
of  these  two  suppositions  must  be  correct.  My  mother's 
terror  inclined  her  to  the  latter ;  and  although  the  man's 
answer  to  her  questions  displayed  greed  and  cupidity, 
they  also  bore  the  semblance  of  truth. 

"  She  gave  him  the  same  sum  as  before,  and  told  him  at 
all  hazards  to  devise  some  mode  of  escape  for  the  count. 
She  promised  him  that  he  should  receive  five  thousand 
ducats  as  soon  as  the  plan  was  arranged,  and  twenty 
thousand  more  as  soon  as  her  husband  was  in  safety. 

"This  was  a  fortune  to  the  jailer,  who  went  away 
promising  to  consider  her  proposition.  My  mother,  from 
her  point  of  view,  contemplated  the  situation ;  she  had 
friends  at  court,  and  she  learned  through  them  that  the 
count's  position  was  even  worse  than  the  jailer  had  rep- 
resented. They  were  about  to  try  him  as  a  spy  !  My 
mother  awaited  impatiently  the  jailer's  arrival ;  she  did 
not  know  even  his  name,  and  if  she  had  known  it  she 
could  not  have  sent  for  him  without  ruining  both  the 
jailer  and  herself. 

"She  was,  however,  somewhat  reassured  by  the  fact 
that  there  was  to  be  a  trial.  Of  what  could  the  count 
be  accused?  —  of  the  death  of  the  two  Milanese?  That 
had  been  merely  an  affair  between  servants  and  peasants, 
with  which  a  gentleman  and  an  envoy  could  have  nothing 
to  do.  What  made  her  most  uneasy  was  a  vague  rumor 
that  there  would  be  no  trial  at  all,  but  that  her  hus- 
band would  be  condemned  none  the  less. 

"  Finally,  one  night  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  at 


ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA.  139 

which  my  mother  started  up  ;  and  she  awaited  on  the 
threshold  of  her  bedchamber  her  nocturnal  visitor,  whose 
peculiar  knock  she  was  getting  to  recognize.  He  en- 
tered with  an  air  more  mysterious  than  usual ,  he  had 
concerted  a  plan  of  escape,  and  came  to  submit  it  to 
the  countess. 

"The  prisoner's  cell  was  separated  from  the  jailer's 
quarters  by  a  single  dungeon,  which  communicated  with 
the  count's  cell  by  an  iron  door  with  a  grating  at  the  top, 
and  the  man  had  the  keys  of  both.  He  proposed,  how- 
ever, to  open  a  passage  through  the  wall  of  the  outside 
cell  into  his  own  room,  exactly  behind  his  bed  :  through 
this  opening  he  could  enter  the  empty  dungeon  and  pass 
thence  into  the  count's  cell,  where  he  would  remove  his 
irons  and  then  lead  him  out  into  the  jailer's  room. 
There  the  prisoner  would  find  a  rope  ladder,  by  the  aid 
of  which  he  could  descend  into  the  moat  in  the  most 
solitary  and  obscure  part  of  the  fortifications.  Here  he 
would  find  a  carriage  waiting  to  carry  him  out  of  the 
country  as  fast  as  horses  could  carry  him. 

"  The  plan  was  a  good  one,  and  the  countess  gave  it 
her  approval ;  but  fearing  lest  they  might  deceive  the 
count  by  telling  him  that  he  was  free,  when  really  he  was 
still  a  prisoner,  she  insisted  on  seeing  herself  the  execu- 
tion of  this  plan.  The  jailer  objected,  in  consequence  of 
the  difficulty  of  introducing  her  into  the  prison ;  but  the 
countess  overcame  this  difficulty,  showing  a  permit  for 
herself  and  her  daughter  to  visit  the  count,  which  not 
having  been  used  was  still  available.  They  would  come 
as  evening  was  closing  in  on  the  day  appointed  for  the 
count's  flight,  and  when  they  left  would  take  advantage 
of  the  darkness  to  slip  into  the  jailer's  room  instead  of 
leaving  the  citadel.  There  she  would  wait  until  the  mo- 
ment came  for  the  prisoner's  attempt  to  escape.  The 


140  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

count  himself  would  pay  the  jailer  the  rest  of  the  money 
promised,  for  the  carriage  would  contain  one  hundred 
thousand  ducats. 

"  The  jailer  was  acting  in  good  faith.  Before  he  left 
the  countess,  he  received  the  five  thousand  ducats,  and 
pointed  out  the  place  where  the  carriage  should  wait 
under  the  care  of  one  of  her  most  trustworthy  servants. 
The  night  of  the  day  after  the  morrow  was  fixed  upon  for 
the  flight. 

"  But  I  beg  your  pardon,  Monsieur,"  said  Odoardo, 
interrupting  himself.  "I  forget  that  I  am  speaking  to 
a  stranger,  for  whom  these  details  which  so  excite  my 
emotion  can  have  no  interest." 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Monsieur,"  said  Emmanuel,  "  I 
desire  you  to  search  your  memory,  that  I  may  share  with 
you  your  recollections  ;  I  am  listening." 

Odoardo  went  on  :  "  The  two  days  passed  in  the  terrible 
anxiety  which  always  precedes  the  execution  of  such  a 
project.  The  countess  was  consoled  by  reflecting  on  the 
deep  interest  taken  by  the  jailer  in  the  success  of  the 
attempt  at  escape.  A  hundred  years  of  fidelity  would 
not  pay  him  so  well  as  this  quarter  of  an  hour  of  treason. 
The  countess  feared  lest  during  these  last  twenty-four 
hours,  which  as  it  seemed  to  her  were  passing  so  slowly, 
some  catastrophe  might  happen  to  frustrate  their  plan, 
well  conceived  and  ingenious  as  it  was.  The  time  glided 
on,  measured  by  the  hand  of  eternity  ;  the  hours  struck 
with  their  usual  impassibility,  and  the  time  when  she  was 
to  go  to  the  prison  came  at  last. 

"  In  presence  of  the  countess,  everything  necessary  to 
the  count  in  his  flight  was  placed  in  the  carriage,  so  that 
he  need  not  be  obliged  to  stop  on  the  road  ;  relays  were 
waiting  at  Pavia,  so  that  he  might  be  enabled  to  make 
thirty  leagues  without  delay.  At  eleven  o'clock  the 


ODOARDO  MARAVIGLIA.  141 

horses  would  be  harnessed,  and  at  midnight  the  carriage 
would  arrive  at  the  appointed  place. 

"  Once  out  of  danger,  the  fugitive  would  communicate 
with  the  countess,  and  the  latter  would  join  him  wher- 
ever he  might  be.  The  hour  struck  ;  face  to  face  with 
the  execution  of  their  plan,  the  countess  found  the  time 
had  come  very  soon  !  She  took  her  little  daughter  by 
the  hand,  and  went  on  her  way  to  the  prison.  On  the 
way  thither  she  was  disturbed  by  a  fear  that  as  the  permit 
was  more  than  a  week  old,  she  would  not  be  allowed  to 
see  her  husband. 

"  The  countess  was  mistaken ;  she  was  without  any 
difficulty  conducted  to  the  prisoner's  cell.  The  count's 
situation  had  not  been  exaggerated ;  there  was  little 
doubt  of  the  fate  to  which  he  was  destined,  for  the  am- 
bassador of  Franqois  I.  was  manacled  by  the  feet  like  a 
common  felon.  The  interview  would  have  been  sad 
indeed,  were  it  not  to  be  followed  by  instant  and  cer- 
tain flight.  During  this  interview  all  that  had  not  been 
arranged  was  definitely  settled. 

"  The  count  had  determined  to  risk  all  on  the  chance 
of  escape  ;  he  knew  that  he  could  expect  no  mercy,  for 
the  emperor  had  positively  demanded  his  death. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  started.  "  Are  you  sure  of  what 
you  say,  Monsieur1?"  he  asked  with  severity.  "It  is  a 
terrible  accusation  to  bring  against  so  great  a  prince  as 
the  Emperor  Charles  V. !  " 

"  Does  your  Highness  command  me  to  stop,  or  am  I 
permitted  to  continue  1 " 

"  Go  on  ;  but  why  not  answer  my  question  ?  " 

"  Because  the  continuation  of  my  story  will  render 
that  answer  unnecessary." 

"  Go  on  then,  Monsieur,"  said  Emmanuel  Philibert. 


142  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE 


CHAPTER   XII. 

WHAT    TOOK    PLACE     IN     THE    FORTRESS   OF   MILAN    ON    THE 
NIGHT   OF   NOV.    14,   1534. 

"  AT  a  few  minutes  before  uine,"  continued  Odoardo, 
"  the  jailer  came  to  inform  the  countess  that  it  was  time 
to  retire.  The  sentinel  was  about  to  be  relieved,  and  it 
was  best  that  the  same  sentinel  should  see  her  both  enter 
and  leave.  The  separation  was  painful ;  but  in  three 
hours  they  would  meet  again  to  be  parted  uo  more.  The 
child  cried  piteously  on  leaving  her  father,  and  the 
countess  was  obliged  to  take  her  away  by  force.  They 
passed  before  the  sentinel,  and  then  jailer,  wife,  and  child 
were  lost  in  the  obscurity  of  the  court -yard  ;  from  there 
they  proceeded  with  infinite  precaution,  and  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  jailer's  quarters  without  being  seen.  Once 
there,  the  jailer  shut  in  an  inner  room  the  countess  and 
her  daughter,  enjoining  upon  them  to  preserve  the  most 
perfect  silence,  and  to  make  not  the  slightest  movement, 
as  an  inspector  might  arrive  at  any  moment.  The  coun- 
tess and  the  child  remained  motionless  and  mute ;  one 
chance  movement,  one  whisper  might  be  sufficient  to 
deprive  a  husband  and  father  of  his  life. 

"  The  three  hours  which  remained  before  midnight 
seemed  to  the  countess  as  long  as  the  past  forty -eight 
hours  ;  but  at  last  the  jailer  opened  the  door.  '  Come,' 
he  said,  so  softly  that  the  countess  understood  by  the 
motion  of  his  lips,  not  what  this  man  said,  but  what  he 
meant  to  say. 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  143 

"  The  mother  would  not  give  up  her  child ;  she  wished 
its  father  to  have  an  opportunity  to  give  it  a  last  kiss 
just  before  going  away,  and  moreover  there  are  mo- 
ments when  even  for  an  empire  we  would  not  separate 
ourselves  from  those  we  love. 

"  This  poor  mother,  who  was  disputing  her  husband's 
life  with  the  executioners,  knew  not  what  might  happen. 
She  might  be  forced  to  flee  either  with  the  count  or 
separated  from  him  ;  and  in  either  case  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  part  with  her  child. 

"  The  jailer  drew  back  the  bed,  and  showed  an  open- 
ing about  two  feet  square  which  had  been  cut  in  the 
wall.  It  was  large  enough  to  allow  the  escape  of  all  the 
prisoners  of  the  fortress  one  after  the  other.  He  entered 
the  first  cell,  followed  by  the  countess  and  her  daughter. 
After  they  had  passed  through  the  opening,  the  jailer's 
wife  replaced  the  bed  against  the  wall ;  on  it  was  sleep- 
ing a  little  boy  four  years  of  age.  The  jailer,  as  I  have 
said,  had  the  key  of  this  first  cell ;  he  opened  the  door, 
of  which  he  had  taken  the  precaution  to  oil  the  lock  and 
hinges,  and  they  entered  the  cell  occupied  by  the  count. 
About  an  hour  before  a  tile  had  been  given  to  the  count 
for  cutting  his  chain  ;  but  being  unskilful  in  such  labor, 
and  fearful  of  alarming  the  sentinel  who  was  walking  in 
the  corridor,  his  work  was  scarcely  half  done.  The  count 
embraced  his  wife  and  child,  and  the  jailer  immediately 
applied  himself  to  the  work  of  filing  the  chain.  Suddenly 
he  looked  up,  with  one  knee  on  the  ground  and  his  body 
supported  by  the  hand  which  held  the  file,  extending  the 
other  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  door,  and  listening. 
The  count  was  about  to  speak.  '  Silence  ! '  said  the 
jailer;  'something  unusual  is  going  on  in  the  fortress.' 
'  Oh,  my  God  ! '  murmured  the  terrified  countess- 
'  Silence  ! '  repeated  the  jailer. 


144  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

11  Every  one  was  silent ;  their  suspended  breathings 
seemed  to  have  stopped  forever.  The  four  individuals 
were  like  a  group  of  bronze  representing  all  the  different 
shades  of  fear  from  astonishment  to  terror.  A  dull  and 
prolonged  noise  seemed  to  be  drawing  near,  —  a  sound 
like  that  of  the  tramp  of  many  feet ;  and  the  regularity 
of  the  step  betokened  that  among  these  persons  some  at 
least  were  soldiers. 

"  '  Come,'  said  the  jailer,  seizing  the  countess  round 
the  waist  and  dragging  her  along,  —  '  come  !  The  gov- 
ernor must  be  making  some  nocturnal  round  of  inspec- 
tion ;  but  at  all  events  you  must  not  be  found  here. 
"\Vhen  the  visitors  shall  have  left  Monsieur  le  Comte's 
cell,  —  and  perhaps  they  will  not  enter  here,  —  we  will 
resume  our  work  where  we  have  left  it.' 

"  The  countess  and  her  daughter  opposed  only  a  feeble 
resistance ;  and  the  count  himself  pushed  her  toward  the 
door.  They  went  out,  followed  by  the  jailer,  who  shut 
the  door  behind  them.  As  I  have  told  your  Highness, 
between  these  two  cells  there  was  an  iron  door,  at  the 
top  of  which  was  an  open  grating,  through  which,  thanks 
to  the  darkness  and  the  close  juxtaposition  of  the  bars, 
one  could  see  everything  without  being  seen. 

"  The  countess  held  her  daughter  in  her  arms ;  and  the 
mother  and  daughter,  scarcely  breathing,  pressed  their 
faces  against  the  bars  to  see  what  was  about  to  take  place. 
The  hope  which  they  had  for  a  moment  entertained, 
that  the  new-comers  would  not  enter  the  count's  cell, 
had  vanished.  The  cortege  had  stopped  before  the  door 
of  the  cell,  and  the  listeners  heard  the  grating  of  the  key 
in  the  lock.  The  door  opened.  The  countess  was  on 
the  point  of  shrieking  at  the  spectacle  which  met  her 
eyes  ;  but  the  jailer,  anticipating  an  outbreak,  whispered  : 
'  Xot  a  word,  Madame  !  Not  a  syllable,  not  a  movement, 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  145 

whatever  happens ;  or  — '  He  stopped  a  moment  as  if 
to  find  a  menace  which  would  effectually  silence  her ; 
and  drawing  a  long  pointed  knife  from  his  breast,  —  '  or 
I  will  kill  your  child  ! '  he  said.  '  Villain  !  '  murmured 
the  countess.  '  Oh/  replied  the  jailer,  '  every  one  for  his 
own  life;  and  that  of  a  poor  jailer  is  as  valuable  in  his 
own  eyes  as  that  of  a  noble  countess.' 

"  The  countess  put  one  hand  upon  her  child's  mouth 
to  insure  her  silence.  As  for  herself,  after  the  jailer's 
threat,  there  was  no  danger  that  she  would  utter  a 
sound. 

"  But  what  was  the  sight  that  had  so  nearly  caused  the 
countess  to  betray  herself?  First,  two  men  di-essed  in 
black  and  bearing  torches  ;  next  a  man  bearing  a  parch- 
ment roll  from  the  lower  part  of  which  hung  a  great  red 
seal ;  behind  this  man  stood  another  man,  masked  and 
enveloped  in  a  great  brown  cloak  ;  following  the  masked 
man  came  a  priest.  They  entered  the  cell  one  by  one, 
and  as  they  entered,  exposed  to  the  eyes  of  the  terrified 
countess,  who  did  not  betray  her  emotion  by  word  or 
gesture,  a  group  in  the  corridor  which  was  even  more 
sinister.  Opposite  the  door  a  man  in  a  party-colored 
dress  of  black  and  red  was  resting  both  hands  upon  the 
hilt  of  a  long  and  broad  sword,  straight  and  without 
sheath;  behind  him  stood  six  Brothers  of  Mercy,  wearing 
black  robes  with  hoods  nearly  covering  their  faces,  and 
carrying  upon  their  shoulders  a  coffin,  while  beyond  all 
these  shone  the  muskets  of  a  dozen  soldiers  ranged  along 
the  wall.  The  two  men  bearing  torches,  the  man  with  the 
parchment,  the  masked  man,  and  the  priest  entered  the 
cell,  as  I  have  said ;  then  the  door  closed,  leaving  on 
the  outside  the  executioner,  the  Brothers  of  Mercy,  and 
the  soldiers. 

"  The  count  was  standing,  and  his  pale  face  could  bo 
VOL  i.  — 10 


146  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

distinguished  against  the  dark  background  of  the  prison 
wall.  He  looked  toward  the  grating,  that  his  eye  might 
meet  the  glance  of  those  eyes  which,  though  he  could 
not  see  them,  he  divined  were  pressed  in  terror  against 
the  bars.  The  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of 
this  company  of  men  left  him  no  doubt  as  to  the  fate  to 
which  he  was  condemned ;  and  had  he  retained  the 
slightest  hope,  it  would  have  been  soon  dispelled. 

"  The  two  men  bearing  torches  stood  one  on  each  side 
of  him  ;  the  man  who  was  masked  and  the  priest  took 
a  position  near  the  door;  the  man  holding  the  parch- 
ment came  forward,  saying,  '  Count,  do  you  feel  that 
you  are  at  peace  with  your  God  ? '  'As  much  so  as  a 
man  can  be,'  replied  the  count  in  a  calm  voice,  '  who  has 
nothing  with  which  to  reproach  himself — '  'That  is 
well,'  continued  the  man  with  the  parchment,  'for  you 
are  condemned  to  death,  and  I  am  here  to  read  your 
sentence.'  'Pronounced  by  what  tribunal1?'  asked  the 
count,  scornfully.  'By  the  all-powerful  justice  of  the 
duke.'  'On  whose  accusation1!'  'Upon  that  of  the 
most  august  emperor  Charles  V.'  '  It  is  well ;  I  am 
ready  to  hear  the  sentence/  '  Kneel,  Count ;  a  man 
about  to  die  should  kneel  while  listening  to  his  sentence 
of  death.'  '  When  he  is  guilty,  but  not  when  he  is  inno- 
cent.' '  Count,  you  are  not  beyond  the  common  law. 
On  your  knees  !  —  or  we  shall  be  obliged  to  use  force.' 
'  Try  it ! '  said  the  count.  '  Let  him  stand,'  said  the  in- 
dividual with  the  mask  ;  '  only  let  him  cross  himself, 
that  he  may  have  the  protection  of  God.'  The  count 
started  at  the  sound  of  this  voice.  '  Duke  Sforza,'  said 
he,  turning  toward  the  speaker,  '  I  thank  you.'  '  Oh,  if 
it  is  the  duke,'  murmured  the  countess,  'let  me  implore 
mercy  ! '  '  Silence,  Madame,  if  you  value  the  life  of 
your  child  ! '  whispered  the  jailer.  The  countess  involun- 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  147 

tarily  sighed.  The  count  heard  her  and  trembled.  He 
ventured  in  answer  to  make  a  gesture  with  his  hand 
which  meant,  '  Courage ! '  Then  obeying  the  duke's 
advice,  he  crossed  himself,  and  said  in  a  loud  voice,  '  In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ! '  '  Amen  ! '  murmured  the  others. 

"Then  the  man  with  the  parchment  began  to  read  the 
sentence.  It  was  drawn  up  in  the  name  of  the  Duke 
Francesco  Maria  Sforza,  by  command  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V. ;  and  it  condemned  Francesco  Maraviglia,  agent 
of  the  King  of  France,  to  be  executed  in  his  cell  at  mid- 
night, as  a  traitor,  spy,  and  divulger  of  State  secrets. 

"  A  second  sigh  reached  the  count's  ear,  —  a  sigh 
so  faint  that  he  alone  could  —  not  hear  it,  but 
divine  it. 

"  He  turned  his  eyes  in  the  direction  from  which  came 
this  sigh  of  despair.  '  Iniquitous  as  the  sentence  is,'  he 
said,  '  I  receive  it  without  fear  and  without  anger ;  yet  as 
a  man  who  can  no  longer  defend  his  life  must  still  de- 
fend his  honor,  I  appeal  from  the  sentence  of  the  duke.' 
'  And  to  whom  V  asked  Sforza.  '  First,  to  my  royal  mas- 
ter, Fran9ois  I. ;  and  secondly,  to  the  future  and  to  God, 
—  to  God,  to  whom  all  must  give  account,  especially 
princes,  kings,  and  emperors.'  'Is  that  the  only  tribunal 
to  which  you  appeal  1'  asked  the  duke.  'Yes,'  replied 
the  count ;  '  and  I  summon  you  to  appear  before  that 
tribunal,  Duke  Francesco  Maria  Sforza  ! '  '  And  when 
shall  that  be  1 '  asked  the  duke.  '  At  the  end  of  the 
same  period  of  time  that  Jacques  de  Molay,  grand 
master  of  the  Templars,  assigned  to  his  judge,  —  that 
is  to  say,  in  a  year  and  one  day.  It  is  to-day  the 
15th  of  November,  1534;  therefore  on  the  16th  of 
November,  1535,  you  understand,  Duke  Francesco 
Maria  Sforza.' 


148  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  As  he  said  this,  he  extended  his  hand  toward  the 
duke  in  a  gesture  of  denunciation  and  menace.  The 
face  of  the  duke  turned  pale  under  his  mask,  —  for  it 
was  indeed  the  duke  who  was  thus  present  at  the  death 
of  his  victim.  For  a  moment  it  was  the  condemned  who 
triumphed  and  the  judge  who  trembled  before  him. 
'  Enough  ! '  said  the  duke  ;  '  you  have  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
to  spend  with  your  confessor  before  your  execution  ; '  and 
he  pointed  to  the  priest.  'Try  to  finish  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  for  the  time  will  not  be  extended  by  a  single 
moment.'  Then  turning  to  the  priest,  '  Father,'  he  said, 
'  perform  your  duty.'  And  he  left  the  cell,  followed  by 
the  two  torch-bearers  and  the  man  who  carried  the  parch- 
ment. But  he  left  the  door  wide  open,  to  allow  him- 
self and  the  soldiers  to  look  into  the  interior  of  the  cell 
and  follow  every  motion  of  the  count,  from  whom,  out 
of  respect  for  the  confession,  they  had  withdrawn  to 
a  sufficient  distance  to  be  beyond  the  sound  of  his 
voice. 

"  A  faint  sigh  wafted  through  the  grating  barely  reached 
the  count's  ear.  The  countess  had  hoped  that  by  the 
closing  of  the  door  the  count  and  the  priest  would  be 
left  alone,  and  that  then,  moved  by  her  tears  and  pray- 
ers, —  seeing  a  wife  praying  on  her  knees  for  her  hus- 
band and  a  child  praying  for  her  father,  —  perhaps  this 
man  of  God  would  have  consented  to  turn  away  his  face 
and  let  the  count  escape.  It  was  the  last  hope  of  my 
poor  mother,  and  it  failed  her." 

Emmanuel  Philibert  started.  He  sometimes  forgot 
that  this  was  the  narration  of  a  son  describing  the  last 
moments  of  his  father ;  he  seemed  to  be  reading  the 
pages  of  some  terrible  legend.  Then  suddenly  a  word 
would  bring  him  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  this 
story  did  not  proceed  from  the  pen  of  some  indifferent 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  149 

historian,  but  fell  from  the  lips  of  a  son,  the  true  account 
of  his  father's  death-scene. 

"  It  was  the  last  hope  of  my  poor  mother,  and  it  failed 
her,"  continued  Odoardo,  his  attention  having  been  with- 
drawn for  a  moment  from  his  narration  by  Emmanuel's 
movement  of  sympathy.  "For,"  he  continued,  "on  the 
other  side  of  the  door,  in  the  light  of  the  two  torches  and 
the  smoking  lamps  of  the  corridor,  stood  the  funeral  cor- 
tege, —  a  spectacle  terrible  to  look  at,  and  deadly  in  its 
purpose.  The  priest  had  remained  alone  with  the  count, 
as  I  have  said.  The  count,  caring  little  in  whose  name  this 
consoler  of  his  last  moments  had  been  sent  to  him,  knelt 
before  him.  Then  the  confession  began,  —  a  strange 
confession,  in  which  he  who  was  about  to  die  seemed  to 
have  no  thought  of  himself,  but  to  be  concerned  only 
about  others ;  in  which  the  words  apparently  spoken  to 
the  priest  were  in  reality  addressed  to  the  wife  and  child, 
reaching  God  only  through  the  medium  of  a  mother's 
and  a  daughter's  hearts.  My  sister  alone,  if  she  still 
lives,  can  tell  with  what  tears  that  confession  was  re- 
ceived ;  for  I  myself  was  not  there.  I,  happy  boy,  igno- 
rant of  all  that  was  taking  place  three  hundred  leagues 
away,  —  I  was  playing,  laughing,  singing  perhaps  at  that 
very  moment  when  my  father,  on  the  threshold  of  death, 
was  speaking  of  his  absent  son  to  my  weeping  mother 
and  sister." 

Overcome  with  emotion  at  these  recollections,  Odoardo 
stopped  a  moment ;  then  he  continued,  sighing  :  "  The 
quarter  of  an  hour  had  passed.  The  duke  with  watch 
in  hand  had  observed  closely  throughout  the  whole 
confession  the  countenances  of  the  priest  and  the  count ; 
then,  at  the  end  of  the  fifteen  minutes  he  said,  '  Count, 
the  time  which  has  been  allowed  you  for  remaining 
among  the  living  has  expired.  The  priest  has  finished 


150  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  task  ;  the  executioner  must  now  perform  his.'  The 
count  received  absolution  ;  and  the  priest,  holding  up  the 
crucifix,  withdrew  through  the  door,  while  at  the  same 
time  the  executioner  came  forward.  The  count  had  re- 
mained on  his  knees.  '  Have  you  any  last  request  to 
address  to  the  Duke  Sforza  or  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  ? ' 
asked  the  man  with  the  mask.  '  I  make  no  petition  ex- 
cept to  my  Maker,'  replied  the  count.  'Are  you  ready, 
then  1 '  asked  the  same  man.  '  You  see  that  I  am  ou  my 
knees.' 

"  The  count  was  indeed  kneeling,  with  his  face  turned 
toward  the  grating  of  that  iron  door  through  which  the 
eyes  of  his  wife  and  child  were  looking  their  farewell. 
His  lips,  still  moving  as  if  in  prayer,  sent  them  loving 
words,  —  his  last  prayer  indeed.  '  If  you  do  not  wish 
my  hand  to  sully  you,  Count,'  said  a  voice  just  behind 
him,  '  be  good  enough  to  turn  down  the  collar  of  your 
shirt.  You  are  a  gentleman,  and  I  have  no  right  to 
touch  you  except  with  the  edge  of  my  sword.' 

"  The  count,  without  answering,  turned  down  his  shirt 
even  as  far  as  his  shoulders,  leaving  his  neck  uncovered. 
'  Recommend  yourself  to  God,'  said  the  executioner. 
'Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father,  into  thy  hands  I 
commit  my  soul ! ' 

"  Scarcely  had  the  last  words  been  uttered  when  the 
executioner's  sword  gleamed  and  whistled  through  the 
air  like  a  flash  of  lightning ;  and  the  head  of  the  count, 
severed  from  the  shoulders,  as  if  by  a  last  impulse  of  love 
rolled  slowly  forward  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  grated 
door. 

"  A  dull  cry  was  heard,  and  a  noise  like  the  sound  of  a 
body  falling  on  the  floor ;  my  mother's  stifled  cry  was 
thought  to  be  the  death-rattle  of  the  murdered  man  ;  and 
the  noise  of  the  falling  body  was  supposed  to  be  made  by 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  151 

the  count's  corpse  as  it  fell  upon  the  stone  floor  of  the 
cell. 

"  Pardon,  Monseigneur,"  said  Odoardo,  stopping  short ; 
"  but  if  you  wish  to  know  the  rest,  I  must  have  a  glass 
of  water,  for  I  feel  faint." 

Emmanuel  Philibert,  seeing  the  narrator  of  this  history 
tremble  and  turn  pale,  sprang  to  support  him,  made  him 
sit  down  upon  a  pile  of  cushions,  and  himself  offered  him 
the  glass  of  water  for  which  he  had  asked.  Perspiration 
stood  upon  the  prince's  forehead,  and,  soldier  accustomed 
to  the  field  of  battle  as  he  was,  he  was  almost  as  near 
fainting  as  the  unhappy  man  he  was  assisting. 

In  about  five  minutes  Odoardo  was  himself  again.  "  Do 
you  wish  to  know  more,  Monseigueur  ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  wish  to  know  all,  Monsieur,"  said  Emmanuel ;  "  nar- 
rations such  as  these  are  valuable  lessons  for  princes  who 
are  one  day  to  be  rulers." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  young  man ;  "  besides,  the  most  terri- 
ble part  of  it  is  over."  With  the  hollow  of  his  hand  he 
wiped  his  reeking  brow,  and  at  the  same  time  perhaps 
the  tears  from  his  eyes.  Then  he  continued  :  — 

"  When  my  mother  recovered  her  consciousness,  the 
whole  scene  had  vanished  like  a  vision,  and  she  would 
have  thought  it  a  fearful  dream  had  she  not  awaked  on 
the  bed  in  the  jailer's  room.  So  solemn  had  been  her  in- 
junctions to  my  little  sister  not  to  weep,  lest  her  sobs 
should  attract  attention,  that  although  the  poor  child 
thought  she  had  lost  both  father  and  mother  at  once,  she 
watched  by  her  mother's  side  with  her  great  frightened 
eyes  flooded  with  tears ;  but  these  tears  continued  to 
flow  as  silently  for  the  mother  as  they  had  for  the  father. 
The  jailer  was  gone,  but  his  wife  had  taken  his  place; 
she  took  pity  on  the  countess,  dressed  her  in  some  of  her 
own  clothes,  and  put  on  my  sister  a  suit  of  her  little 


152  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

boy's.  At  daybreak  she  accompanied  them  as  far  as  the 
road  to  Novara  ;  then  giving  the  countess  two  ducats,  she 
intrusted  her  to  the  care  of  God. 

"  My  mother  seemed  pursued  by  a  terrible  vision.  It 
did  not  occur  to  her  to  return  to  the  palace  for  money,  or 
to  seek  information  about  the  carriage  which  had  been 
provided  for  the  count's  escape ;  she  was  mad  with  ter- 
ror. Her  only  thought  was  to  fly,  to  reach  the  frontier, 
to  get  away  from  the  territory  of  Duke  Sforza.  She  dis- 
appeared with  her  child  in  the  direction  of  Novara,  and 
has  never  been  heard  of.  What  has  become  of  my 
mother?  Where  is  my  sister?  I  have  no  idea.  The 
news  of  my  father's  death  reached  me  at  Paris.  It  was 
the  king  himself  who  informed  me  of  it,  at  the  same  time 
assuring  me  of  his  constant  protection,  and  announcing 
his  intention  of  declaring  war  to  avenge  the  murder  of 
the  count. 

"  I  asked  the  king's  permission  to  accompany  him.  At 
first  fortune  favored  the  arms  of  France  ;  we  crossed  the 
dominions  of  the  duke  your  father,  of  which  the  king 
took  possession  ;  then  we  arrived  at  Milan. 

"  Duke  Sforza  had  taken  refuge  at  Rome  with  Pope 
Paul  III. 

"Inquiries  concerning  my  father's  murder  were  set  on 
foot ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  find  any  of  those  persons 
who  had  been  present  at  the  time  of  the  murder  or  had 
participated  in  it.  The  executioner  had  suddenly  died, 
three  days  after  the  execution.  No  one  knew  the  name 
of  the  clerk  who  read  the  sentence,  and  the  priest  who 
had  received  the  confession  of  the  condemned  was  also 
unknown.  The  jailer  with  his  wife  and  son  had  taken 
flight. 

"  Thus  in  spite  of  all  my  endeavors  I  could  not  even 
discover  the  resting-place  of  my  father's  body.  Twenty 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  153 

years  had  been  spent  in  this  useless  search  when  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  dated  at  Avignon. 

"  A  man  who  signed  his  letter  only  by  initial  entreated 
me  to  come  immediately  to  Avignon  if  I  wished  for  cor- 
rect and  full  information  concerning  the  death  of  my 
father  Comte  Francesco  Maraviglia.  He  gave  me  the 
name  and  address  of  a  priest  whom  he  recommended  to 
me  as  an  escort  if  I  should  accede  to  his  request. 

"This  letter  offered  me  the  desire  of  my  whole  life, 
and  I  set  out  immediately.  I  went  directly  to  the  house 
of  the  priest,  who  was  expecting  me,  and  who  accompa- 
nied me  to  the  house  of  the  man  who  had  written  to  me. 
He  was  the  jailer  of  the  fortress  of  Milan.  On  seeing  the 
death  of  my  father  and  knowing  exactly  where  the  car- 
riage with  the  hundred  thousand  ducats  would  be  in 
waiting,  an  evil  spirit  tempted  him.  He  had  laid  my 
mother  on  the  bed  in  charge  of  his  wife,  slipped  down 
the  rope  ladder  and  gone  to  find  the  coachman,  who  was 
sitting  on  the  box ;  he  had  stolen  up  close  to  him,  saying 
that  he  came  in  the  name  of  my  father,  had  stabbed  him, 
and  after  throwing  him  in  a  ditch,  bad  driven  away  with 
the  carriage  and  the  ducats. 

"  Once  over  the  frontier,  he  had  travelled  by  post  to 
Avignon,  had  sold  the  carriage ;  and  as  no  one  had  ever 
laid  claim  to  its  contents,  he  appropriated  the  hundred 
thousand  ducats,  and  had  written  to  his  wife  and  son  to 
join  him. 

"  But  the  hand  of  God  was  upon  this  man.  His  wife  died 
first ;  then,  after  a  sickness  of  ten  years,  the  son  followed 
the  mother ;  at  last  he  felt  that  his  turn  would  soon 
come  to  render  to  God  an  account  of  his  deeds  during  his 
life  on  this  earth.  It  was  this  cull  from  on  high  that 
had  caused  him  to  repent  and  think  of  me.  You  under- 
stand, then,  why  he  wished  to  see  me. 


154  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  He  wished  to  tell  ine  everything,  to  ask  my  pardon, 
not  for  ray  father's  death,  for  he  was  in  no  way  responsi- 
ble for  that,  but  for  the  murder  of  the  coachman,  and  the 
robbery  of  the  hundred  thousand  ducats.  As  for  the 
murdered  man,  there  was  no  remedy  for  the  crime ,  the 
man  was  dead.  But  as  far  as  the  hundred  thousand 
ducats  were  concerned  the  case  was  different ;  he  had 
bought  with  those  at  Ville-neuve-lez-A  vignon  a  chateau 
with  a  magnificent  estate,  on  the  income  of  which  he 
lived. 

"  I  began  by  making  him  relate  to  me  every  detail 
concerning  my  father's  death,  not  once  only,  but  ten 
times.  To  be  sure,  that  night  had  made  so  terrible  an 
impression  on  his  mind  that  no  incident  had  escaped  him, 
and  he  remembered  every  detail  of  that  fatal  event  as  if 
it  had  happened  on  the  last  night.  Unfortunately,  he 
could  give  me  no  information  regarding  the  fate  of  my 
mother  and  sister,  except  that  his  wife  had  left  them  on 
the  road  to  Novara.  They  must  have  died  of  fatigue  or 
hunger! 

"  I  was  already  rich,  and  had  no  need  of  this  increase 
of  fortune,  but  the  day  might  come  when  I  should  find 
my  mother  or  my  sister.  Not  wishing  to  dishonor  this 
man  by  a  public  avowal  of  his  crime,  I  made  a  deed  of 
gift  of  the  chateau  and  estate  to  the  Countess  Maraviglia 
and  her  daughter ;  then,  so  far  as  I  was  able,  and  to 
the  extent  of  the  grace  given  me  from  on  high,  I  pardoned 
him. 

"But  there  my  forgiveness  ended.  Francesco  Maria 
Sforza  had  died  in  1535,  exactly  a  year  and  a  day  after 
my  father  had  summoned  him  to  appear  before  the  tribu- 
nal of  God.  I  therefore  had  nothing  further  to  do  with 
him ;  he  had  been  already  punished  for  his  weakness, 
if  not  his  crime.  But  there  remained  the  Emperor 


IN  THE  FORTRESS.  155 

Charles  V.,  —  an  emperor  at  the  pinnacle  of  his  power, 
on  the  summit  of  his  glory,  at  the  height  of  his  prosperity  ! 
He  was  still  unpunished,  and  upon  him  I  was  determined 
to  avenge  myself. 

"  You  will  say  that  men  who  wield  a  sceptre  or  wear 
a  crown  are  responsible  only  to  God ;  but  sometimes  God 
seems  to  forget.  In  that  case  it  behooves  man  to  re- 
member. I  remembered  ;  that  is  all.  But  I  did  not  know 
that  the  emperor  wore  under  his  dress  a  coat-of-mail. 
He  also  remembered  1  You  desired  to  know  who  I  am, 
and  why  I  attempted  to  commit  this  crime.  I  am  Odo- 
ardo  Maraviglia;  and  I  would  have  killed  the  emperor 
because  he  caused  my  father  to  be  assassinated  in  the 
night,  and  was  responsible  for  the  death,  by  hunger  and 
fatigue,  of  my  mother  and  sister. 

"  I  have  spoken  ;  and  now,  Monsieur,  you  know  the 
truth.  I  attempted  assassination,  and  I  deserve  to  lose 
my  own  life  ;  but  I  am  a  gentleman,  and  I  claim  a  gentle- 
man's death." 

Emmanuel  Philibert  bowed  his  head  in  assent. 

"  Your  demand  is  a  just  one,  and  shall  be  granted.  Do 
you  wish  to  remain  at  liberty  until  the  hour  of  your  exe- 
cution 1  I  mean,  do  you  wish  not  to  be  bound  1 " 

"On  what  condition  will  that  be  granted  me  1 " 

"  On  your  pledged  word  that  you  will  not  attempt  to 
escape." 

"  You  already  have  it." 

"  Repeat  it,  then." 

"  I  repeat  it ;  but  be  quick  !  The  crime  has  been  made 
public,  and  the  confession  is  complete.  Why  should  I 
wait?" 

"  I  am  not  the  one  to  fix  the  hour  of  a  man's  execu- 
tion ;  that  depends  entirely  upon  the  pleasure  of  the 
Emperor  Charles  V."  Then,  calling  the  sergeant,  "  Take 


156  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

this  gentleman  to  a  private  tent,"  he  said,  "  and  let  him 
be  well  served.  A  single  sentinel  will  be  sufficient  to 
guard  him  ;  I  have  his  word  as  a  gentleman.  Go  !  " 

The  sergeant  withdrew,  followed  by  the  prisoner. 

Emmanuel  Philibert  watched  him  until  he  had  left  the 
tent ;  then,  fancying  he  heard  a  slight  noise  behind  him? 
he  turned  around.  Leona  was  standing  at  the  entrance 
to  the  opposite  compartment,  whose  canvas  hangings  had 
dropped  behind  her.  It  was  the  noise  caused  by  the  fall- 
ing of  this  canvas  that  had  attracted  Emmanuel  Phili- 
bert's  attention.  Leona  stood  with  clasped  hands,  her 
eyes  still  wet  with  the  tears  she  had  doubtless  shed  over 
the  sad  story  she  had  just  heard. 

"  What  do  you  want  1 "  asked  the  prince. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you,  Emmanuel/'  replied  Leona,  "  that 
this  young  man  must  not  die." 

Emmanuel  Philibert's  face  clouded.  "  Leona,"  he  said, 
"  this  young  man  has  committed  a  horrible  crime,  —  in 
intention,  at  least,  if  not  in  fact." 

"  No  matter,"  said  Leona,  throwing  her  arms  around 
the  prince's  neck  ;  "  still  I  say  that  this  young  man  must 
not  die." 

"  The  emperor  must  decide  his  fate,  Leona.  What  I 
must  do,  and  the  only  thing  possible  for  me  to  do,  is  to 
report  everything  to  the  emperor." 

"  And  I  tell  you,  my  Emmanuel,  that  if  the  emperor 
condemns  this  young  man  to  death,  you  will  obtain  his 
pardon,  will  you  not  1 " 

"  Leona,  you  give  me  credit  for  more  influence  with  the 
emperor  than  I  really  possess.  The  imperial  justice  must 
take  its  course  ;  if  it  condemns  —  " 

"  Whether  it  condemn  or  not,  Odoardo  Maraviglia 
must  live,  do  you  understand  ?  He  must  live,  my  dear 
Emmanuel ! " 


IN   THE  FORTRESS.  157 

"  And  why,  Leona,  are  you  so  anxious  that  he  should 
live  1  " 

14  Because,"  replied  Leona,  —  "  because  he  is  my 
brother ! " 

Emmanuel  uttered  a  cry  of  astonishment.  The  woman 
dying  of  fatigue  and  hunger  on  the  banks  of  the  Sesia, 
the  child  obstinately  preserving  the  secret  of  its  birth  and 
sex,  the  page  refusing  Charles  V.'s  diamond,  —  every- 
thing was  explained  by  those  few  words  which  had  just 
fallen  from  Leona's  lips  concerning  Odoardo  Maraviglia  : 
44  He  is  my  brother." 


158  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   DEMON    OP   THE   SOUTH. 

WHILE  the  scene  just  related  was  being  enacted  in  Em- 
manuel Philibert's  tent,  the  huzzas  of  the  soldiers  and 
the  flourish  of  trumpets  announced  an  event  which  was 
putting  the  whole  camp  in  commotion. 

A  small  body  of  horsemen  had  been  descried  approach- 
ing from  the  direction  of  Brussels,  and  the  skirmishers 
who  had  been  sent  out  to  meet  them  had  returned  at  full 
gallop,  making  signals  of  joy  and  announcing  that  the 
leader  of  the  cavalcade  was  none  other  than  the  most 
august  emperor's  only  son,  Philip,  Prince  of  Spain,  King 
of  Naples,  and  husband  of  the  Queen  of  England. 

At  the  noise  of  the  trumpets  and  the  cheers  of  those 
who  first  recognized  the  prince,  every  one  hurried  from 
the  tents  to  witness  the  arrival  of  the  royal  guest. 

Philip  rode  a  beautiful  white  horse,  which  he  managed 
very  gracefully.  He  wore  a  violet-colored  cloak  and  a  black 
doublet,  —  which  two  colors  in  conjunction  are  the  insig- 
nia of  royal  mourning,  —  and  breeches  of  the  same  violet 
color  as  the  cloak  ;  his  high  boots  were  of  buff  leather, 
and  the  little  black  cap  upon  his  head  —  such,  as  was 
worn  at  that  period  —  was  faced  on  the  edge  with  a  fold 
of  black  silk  and  ornamented  with  a  black  plume.  On 
his  neck  he  wore  the  collar  of  the  Golden  Fleece. 

Philip  was  at  that  time  a  man  of  twenty -eight  years  of 
age,  of  middle  height,  rather  inclined  to  stoutness,  with 


THE  DKMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.        159 

somewhat  full  cheeks  set  off  by  blond  whiskers,  and  a 
mouth  expressing  firmness  and  rarely  touched  by  a  smile. 
His  nose  was  straight,  and  his  eyes  were  tremulous  under 
their  lids,  like  those  of  the  hare.  Although  he  was  hand- 
some rather  than  ugly,  the  expression  of  his  face  was  not 
sympathetic,  and  it  was  easy  to  imagine  that  under  this 
prematurely  furrowed  brow  he  cherished  melancholy 
rather  than  pleasant  thoughts. 

The  emperor  had  a  tender  affection  for  Philip.  He 
loved  the  son  as  he  had  loved  the  mother  of  that  son  ; 
but  just  when  a  caress  seemed  on  the  point  of  drawing 
nearer  together  their  two  hearts,  he  had  always  felt  that 
the  prince's  heart  was  encased  in  a  coating  of  ice  which 
had  never  melted  in  any  embrace. 

Sometimes,  when  he  had  not  seen  his  son  for  a  long 
time,  and  was  therefore  unable  to  search  in  the  dull  and 
blinking  look  of  the  young  prince  for  the  intention  hid- 
den there,  he  was  uneasy  in  mind,  not  knowing  in  what 
direction  the  mining  of  his  ambition  might  lead  this 
worker  in  the  dark,  so  continually  occupied  with  secret 
intrigues.  Would  it  be  against  their  common  enemy  ] 
Would  it  be  against  himself1?  And  then,  in  the  doubt 
of  his  heart,  he  would  let  fall  some  of  those  terrible 
words  such  as  those  to  which  he  had  that  very  morn- 
ing given  utterance  iu  his  interview  with  Emmanuel 
Philibert. 

The  gloom  which  attended  the  young  prince's  birth 
foreshadowed  his  life.  There  are  dreary  dawns  which 
cast  their  reflection  over  the  whole  day.  The  emperor 
had  received  the  news  of  his  birth  —  which  took  place 
on  Tuesday  the  31st  of  May,  1527  —  at  the  same  time 
that  he  had  received  news  concerning  the  death  of  the 
Constable  of  Bourbon,  the  sacking  of  Rome,  and  the 
imprisonment  of  Pope  Clement  VII.  All  rejoicing, 


160  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

therefore,  had  been  forbidden  on  the  occasion  of  this 
birth,  lest  it  should  form  too  great  a  contrast  with  the 
grief  of  Christendom. 

A  year  later,  however,  the  royal  offspring  had  been 
recognized  Prince  of  Spain.  Then  there  were  splendid 
fetes ;  but  the  child  who  when  he  became  a  man  would 
cause  so  many  tears  to  flow,  during  all  these  fetes  had 
done  nothing  but  weep. 

Philip  had  just  reached  his  sixteenth  year  when  the 
emperor,  wishing  to  see  how  he  would  succeed  in  war, 
charged  him  with  forcing  the  French,  under  the  dauphin, 
to  raise  the  siege  of  Perpignan ;  but  in  order  to  run  no 
risk  of  defeat  in  this  enterprise,  the  young  prince  was 
accompanied  by  six  Spanish  noblemen,  fourteen  barons, 
eight  hundred  gentlemen,  two  thousand  cavalry,  and 
five  thousand  infantry.  Against  such  a  reinforcement  of 
fresh  troops  resistance  was  useless.  The  French  raised 
the  siege,  and  the  Infante  of  Spain  began  his  military 
career  with  a  victory. 

But  from  the  account  of  this  campaign  which  was 
brought  to  him,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  had  easily 
recognized  the  fact  that  the  instincts  of  his  son  were  not 
warlike;  he  had  therefore  reserved  for  himself  the  haz- 
ards of  war  and  the  varying  fortunes  of  battle,  leaving  to 
the  heir  of  his  dominions  the  study  of  politics,  for  which 
he  seemed  more  especially  fitted.  At  sixteen  the  young 
prince  had  made  such  progress  in  this  great  science  of 
government,  that  Charles  V.  did  not  hesitate  to  appoint 
him  governor  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  Spain. 

In  1543  Philip  had  married  Dona  Maria  of  Portugal, 
his  first  cousin,  born  in  the  same  year,  on  the  same  day, 
and  at  the  same  hour  as  himself.  He  had  a  son,  Don 
Carlos,  the  hero  of  a  lamentable  history  and  of  two  or 
three  tragedies.  This  son  was  born  in  1545. 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.  161 

Finally,  in  1548,  Philip  had  left  Barcelona  for  a  visit 
to  Italy,  iu  the  midst  of  a  terrible  tempest,  which  hud 
scattered  the  fleet  of  Doria,  and  forced  him  to  return 
temporarily  iuto  port ;  then  attempting  in  the  face  of 
adverse  winds  to  resume  his  voyage,  he  had  landed  at 
Genoa,  from  which  place  he  had  gone  to  Milan.  He  had 
explored  the  battle-field  of  Pavia,  had  been  shown  the 
place  where  Fran9ois  I.  had  surrendered  his  sword,  and 
had  measured  with  his  eye  the  ditch  where  the  French 
monarchy  had  almost  found  a  grave ;  then,  still  silent 
and  taciturn,  he  had  left  Milan,  crossed  Central  Italy, 
and  rejoined  the  emperor  at  Worms.  At  that  time 
Charles  V.,  Flemish  by  birth  and  Flemish  at  heart,  had 
presented  him  to  his  countrymen  at  Namur  and  Brussels. 
At  Xamur  Emmanuel  had  received  him  with  public  cere- 
monies of  honor.  The  two  cousins  had  embraced  each 
other  tenderly  at  meeting ;  then  Emmanuel  had  provided 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  prince  a  sham  fight,  in  which 
of  course  Philip  had  taken  no  part. 

The  fetes  were  not  less  sumptuous  at  Brussels  than  at 
Namur.  Seven  hundred  princes,  barons,  and  gentlemen 
received  outside  the  gates  the  heir  of  the  greatest  mon- 
archy in  the  world.  Then,  when  this  heir  had  been  thus 
publicly  recognized  and  acknowledged,  his  father  sent  him 
back  into  Spain.  Emmanuel  Philibert  accompanied  him 
as  far  as  Genoa ;  and  during  this  journey  the  Prince  of 
Piedmont  saw  his  father  for  the  last  time. 

Three  years  after  Philip's  return  to  Spain,  King  Ed- 
ward VI.  of  England  had  died,  leaving  the  crown  to  his 
sister  Mary,  daughter  of  Catherine,  that  aunt  of  the 
emperor  whom  he  loved  so  well  that  he  had  learned 
English,  he  said,  only  that  he  might  be  able  to  talk 
with  her. 

The  new  queen  was  eager  to  secure  a  husband  ;  she 
VOL.  i.  — 11 


162  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

was  forty-six  years  of  age,  and  consequently  there  was  no 
time  to  lose.  Charles  V.  proposed  his  son  Philip. 

Philip's  wife,  the  charming  Dona  Maria  of  Portugal, 
had  lived  but  a  short  time.  Four  days  after  the  birth 
of  Don  Carlos  the  queen's  women,  desirous  of  seeing  a 
magnificent  auto-da-fe  of  Huguenots,  had  left  the  young 
mother  alone,  with  a  table  covered  with  fruit  standing 
near  her.  She  had  been  forbidden  to  eat  of  this  fruit 
during  her  sickness.  Daughter  of  Eve  in  every  respect, 
the  poor  princess  disobeyed  the  commaud  ;  she  arose, 
and  applied  her  young  and  beautiful  teeth  to  an  apple, 
and  also  to  a  melon ;  twenty-four  hours  afterward  she 
was  dead ! 

There  was  nothing  therefore  to  prevent  the  Infante 
Don  Philip  from  marrying  Mary  Tudor,  thus  uniting 
England  and  Spain,  and  between  the  island  of  the  North 
and  the  peninsula  of  the  South  strangling  France.  This 
was  the  main  object  of  this  union. 

Philip  had  two  competitors  for  the  hand  of  his  cousin  : 
Cardinal  Pole,  a  cardinal  without  being  priest,  —  a  son 
of  George,  Duke  of  Clarence,  Edward  IV. 's  brother,  — 
cousin,  therefore,  of  the  queen  in  about  the  same  degree 
with  Philip ;  and  the  Prince  of  Courtenay,  nephew  of 
Henry  VIII.,  and  consequently  as  nearly  related  as  both 
the  others  to  Queen  Mary. 

Charles  V.  began  by  securing  the  support  of  Queen 
Mary  herself;  and  with  this  support,  which  he  had  ob- 
tained through  the  influence  of  Father  Henry,  the  royal 
widow's  confessor,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  proceed. 

The  Princess  Mary  was  an  ardent  Catholic,  as  is  shown 
by  the  title  of  "  Bloody  Mary,"  which  all  the  English 
historians  have  given  her.  The  emperor  began  therefore 
by  alienating  her  from  the  Prince  of  Courtenay,  a  young 
man  thirty-two  years  of  age,  handsome  as  an  angel,  brave 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.         163 

as  a  Courtenay,  by  accusing  him  of  being  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  heresy ;  and  indeed  Queen  Mary  noticed  that 
those  among  her  ministers  who  advised  this  marriage 
were  those  whom  she  regarded  as  attached  to  that  false 
religion  of  which  her  father  Henry  VIII.,  in  order  to  have 
nothing  to  do  henceforth  with  the  "  Bishops  of  Rome," 
as  he  called  them,  had  declared  himself  the  pope.  This 
point  well  fixed  in  the  queen's  mind,  there  was  nothing 
more  to  fear  from  the  Prince  de  Courtenay. 

There  remained  Cardinal  Pole,  less  brave  perhaps  than 
Courtenay,  but  fully  as  handsome,  and  certainly  much 
more  diplomatic,  brought  up  as  he  had  been  in  the  school 
of  the  popes. 

He  was  the  more  to  be  feared  because,  before  her  coro- 
nation, Mary  Tudor,  with  or  without  intention,  had 
written  to  Julius  III.  to  send  Cardinal  Pole  to  her  in 
the  capacity  of  apostolic  legate,  that  the  latter  might  co- 
operate with  her  in  the  holy  work  of  the  restoration  of 
the  old  religion.  Fortunately  for  Charles  V.,  the  pope, 
who  knew  very  well  what  Pole  had  suffered  under 
Henry  VIII.  and  what  dangers  he  had  incurred,  was  un- 
willing that  so  important  a  prelate  should  be  the  first 
one  to  plunge  into  the  midst  of  the  fermentations  which 
were  rife  in  England.  He  therefore  sent  in  advance 
Jean-Frangois  Commendon,  gentleman  of  his  bedchamber. 
But  it  was  Pole  and  riot  Commendon  that  Mary  wanted  ; 
she  sent  back  the  latter,  begging  him  to  hasten  the 
arrival  of  the  cardinal. 

Pole  set  out ;  but  the  emperor  had  his  spies  at  Rome. 
He  was  therefore  informed  of  Pole's  departure  ;  and  as  the 
legate  a  latere  would  cross  through  Germany  and  pass 
by  Innspruck,  Charles  V.  gave  orders  to  Mendoza,  who 
commanded  a  cavalry  corps  in  that  city,  to  stop  Car- 
dinal Pole  on  the  way,  on  the  pretext  that  he  was  too 


164  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

nearly  related  to  the  queen  to  give  her  disinterested 
counsel  in  the  matter  of  her  marriage  with  the  Infante 
Don  Philip. 

Mendoza  was  a  good  officer,  of  the  kind  needed  by 
princes  In  such  circumstances.  He  considered  nothing 
but  his  instructions,  which  now  were  to  arrest  Cardinal 
Pole ;  he  arrested  him  and  kept  him  prisoner  until  the 
articles  of  the  marriage  contract  between  Philip  of  Spain 
and  Mary  of  England  were  signed.  Then  Pole  was  re- 
leased. He  resigned  himself  to  this  treatment,  like  a 
man  of  sense,  and  filled  his  office  of  legate  a  latere  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  not  only  of  Mary  but  also  of  Philip. 

One  of  the  articles  of  the  marriage  contract  declared 
that  Mary  Tudor  could  marry  only  a  king.  This  gave  no 
trouble  to  Charles  V. ;  he-  made  his  son  Philip  king  of 
Naples. 

This  bit  of  success  somewhat  relieved  the  emperor's 
depression  occasioned  by  the  two  defeats  he  had  experi- 
enced, —  one  at  Inuspruck,  where,  surprised  in  the  night 
by  Duke  Maurice,  he  had  fled  so  precipitately  that  he 
had  not  perceived  that  he  had  put  on  his  belt  without 
attaching  to  it  his  sword ;  the  other  at  Metz,  the  siege 
of  which  he  had  been  forced  to  raise,  leaving  his  can- 
non, his  wagons,  his  military  stores,  and  a  third  of  his 
army. 

"  Oh,"  he  exclaimed,  "  fortune  favors  me,  then,  once 
more." 

Finally,  on  the  24th  of  July,  1554,  —  that  is  to  say,  nine 
months  before  the  period  of  our  story,  —  on  the  same  day 
as  the  fete  of  Saint  Jacques,  patron  saint  of  Spain,  Mary 
of  England  had  been  united  to  Philip  II.  She  who  was 
called  the  Tigress  of  the  North  had  married  him  who 
was  called  the  Demon  of  the  South. 

Philip  had  set  out  from  Spain  accompanied  by  twenty- 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.         165 

two  vessels  of  war  carrying  six  thousand  men.  But 
before  entering  the  port  of  Hampton  he  had  sent  back  all 
these  vessels,  so  that  he  might  arrive  in  England  with 
only  those  which  Queen  Mary,  his  betrothed,  had  sent  to 
meet  him.  There  were  eighteen  vessels  in  this  fleet,  led 
by  the  largest  one  ever  built  by  the  English,  which  had 
been  launched  for  this  occasion. 

These  vessels  proceeded  to  the  distance  of  three  leagues 
upon  the  high  seas  to  meet  the  Prince  of  Spain  ;  and 
there,  amid  the  firing  of  guns,  the  beating  of  drums,  aud 
trumpet-blasts,  Philip  passed  from  his  own  vessel  to  that 
which  Queen  Mary  had  sent  to  meet  him. 

He  was  accompanied  by  sixty  gentlemen,  of  whom 
twelve  were  Spanish  noblemen,  including  the  Admiral  of 
Castile,  the  Duke  of  Mediua-Coeli,  Ruy  Gomez  de  Silva, 
and  the  Duke  of  Alva,  who  had  each  forty  pages  and 
valets.  "  Indeed,  it  was  reckoned,  —  and  such  a  wonder 
ful  thing  was  never  seen  before,"  says  Gregory  Leti, 
biographer  of  Charles  V.,  —  "that  these  sixty  gentlemen 
had  with  them  twelve  hundred  and  thirty  pages  and 
footmen." 

The  marriage  ceremony  took  place  at  Winchester. 
Those  who  would  like  to  know  in  what  way  Mary  Tudor 
came  to  meet  her  betrothed,  what  dress  she  wore,  with 
what  jewels  she  was  decked,  of  what  form  was  the  amphithe- 
atre surmounted  by  two  thrones  which  awaited  the  bride 
and  bridegroom ;  those  who  would  like  to  penetrate  even 
farther  and  know  in  what  manner  Mass  was  celebi'ated, 
in  what  order  the  guests  were  placed  at  table,  how  their 
Majesties  "  rose  from  table  so  adroitly  that  although  in 
the  company  of  so  many  lords  and  ladies,  they  disap- 
peared through  a  secret  door  and  retired  to  their  cham- 
ber," —  will  find  these  details  and  many  others  in  the 
biography  from  which  we  have  just  quoted. 


166  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

As  for  ourselves,  interesting  and  pleasing  as  we  should 
find  these  details,  they  would  carry  us  too  far,  and  we 
will  return  to  the  King  of  Naples  and  England,  Philip  II., 
who  nine  months  after  his  marriage  reappeared  upon  the 
continent,  and  when  least  expected,  was  approaching  the 
boundaries  of  the  camp,  saluted  by  the  beating  of  drums, 
the  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  the  cheers  of  the  German 
and  Spanish  soldiers  who  formed  his  cortege. 

Charles  Y.  had  been  one  of  the  first  to  be  informed  of 
the  unexpected  arrival  of  his  son ;  and  pleased  that  Philip 
had  no  motive  for  concealing  from  him  his  presence  in 
Flanders,  —  apparently,  at  least,  since  he  had  come  to  see 
him  in  camp,  —  he  made  an  effort,  and  leaning  upon  the 
arm  of  one  of  his  officers,  dragged  himself  to  the  door 
of  his  tent.  He  had  scarcely  reached  it  when  he  saw 
Don  Philip  approaching  amid  cheers,  braying  of  trum- 
pets, and  beating  of  drums,  as  if  he  were  already  lord 
and  master. 

"  Well,  well !  "  murmured  Charles  V.  "  God's  will  be 
done  !  " 

But  as  soon  as  he  saw  his  father  Philip  stopped  his 
horse  and  sprang  to  the  ground ;  then  drawing  near, 
with  arms  extended,  bowing  his  uncovered  head,  he  knelt 
at  the  feet  of  the  emperor. 

This  mark  of  humility  removed  every  suspicion  from 
Charles  V.'s  mind.  He  raised  Philip  from  his  knees, 
embraced  him,  and  turning  to  those  who  had  accompa- 
nied Philip  :  "  Thanks,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  for  divin- 
ing my  pleasure  at  my  dear  son's  arrival,  and  for 
announcing  it  in  advance  by  your  shouts  and  huzzas  ! " 
Then  to  his  son,  "Don  Philip,"  he  said,  "it  is  nearly 
five  years  since  we  saw  each  other  last.  Come,  we  must 
have  much  to  say  to  each  other !  " 

And  bowing  to  the  crowd  of  officers  and  soldiers  as- 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.         167 

sembled  before  his  tent,  he  leaned  upon  his  son's  arm 
and  re-entered  the  pavilion,  followed  by  shouts  three 
times  repeated  of  "  Long  live  the  King  of  England  !  " 
and  "  Long  live  the  Emperor  of  Germany  ! "  of  "  Long 
live  Don  Philip  !  "  and  "  Long  live  Charles  V. !  " 

In  fact,  aa  the  emperor  had  said,  Philip  and  he  had 
much  to  say  to  each  other.  And  yet,  after  Charles  V. 
was  seated  on  the  divan,  and  Philip,  declining  the  honor 
of  sitting  by  his  father's  side,  had  taken  a  chair,  there 
was  a  moment's  silence.  It  was  Charles  V-.  who  broke 
the  silence,  preserved  by  Philip  perhaps  out  of  respect 
for  his  father. 

"  My  son,"  said  the  emperor,  "nothing  less  than  your 
dear  presence  could  have  dispelled  the  bad  impression 
which  the  news  received  to-day  has  produced  upon  my 
mind." 

"  A  part  of  this  news,  and  the  saddest  of  all,  is  already 
known  to  me,  as  is  shown  by  my  dress,  my  father,"  re- 
plied Philip.  "  We  have  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  — 
you  a  mother  and  I  a  grandmother." 

"  You  learned  this  in  Belgium,  my  son  ?  " 

Philip  bowed.  "  In  England,  Sire.  We  have  direct 
communication  with  Spain;  while  the  courier  who  brought 
the  news  to  your  Majesty  must  have  been  obliged  to 
come  here  by  way  of  Genoa,  which  would  have  delayed 
him." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Charles  V. ;  "  it  would  be  so. 
But  besides  this  I  have  another  source  of  anxiety." 

"  Your  Majesty  doubtless  has  reference  to  the  election 
of  Pope  Paul  IV.,  and  the  treaty  he  has  proposed  to 
the  King  of  France,  and  which  must  be  signed  by  this 
time." 

Charles  V.  looked  at  Philip  in  astonishment.  "  My 
son,"  he  said,  "  has  an  English  vessel  brought  you  this 


168  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

information  also  1  It  is  quite  a  distance  from  Civita 
Vecchia  to  Portsmouth  !  " 

"  No,  Sire,  the  news  reached  me  through  France ; 
therefore  I  learned  it  before  you.  The  passes  of  the 
Alps  and  the  Tyrol  are  still  blocked  up  with  snow ;  for 
which  reason  your  messenger  was  delayed,  while  the 
tidings  came  to  me  straight  from  Ostia  to  Marseilles, 
from  Marseilles  to  Boulogne,  and  from  Boulogne  to 
London." 

Charles  V.  frowned.  He  had  long  considered  it  his  right 
to  be  informed  before  any  one  else  of  any  important  event 
which  had  taken  place  in  the  world;  and  here  his  son  had 
not  only  been  the  first  to  hear  of  Queen  Joanna's  death 
and  the  election  of  Paul  IV.,  but  had  actually  informed 
him  of  something  of  which  he  had  known  nothing,  — 
that  is  to  say,  the  alliance  between  Henri  II.  and  the 
new  pope. 

But  Philip  did  not  appear  to  notice  his  father's  aston- 
ishment. "Then,"  he  continued,  "all  the  propositions 
had  been  so  well  considered  by  the  Caraffas  and  their 
friends  that  it  was  possible  to  send  the  treaty  to  the 
King  of  France  before  the  conclave  had  terminated. 
This  fact  explains  the  boldness  with  which,  after  taking 
Marienbourg,  Henri  II.  has  marched  upon  Bouvines  and 
Dinantj  with  the  intention,  doubtless,  of  cutting  off  your 
retreat." 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  said  Charles  V.,  "  has  he  then  advanced 
so  far,  and  am  I  threatened  with  another  surprise  like 
that  of  Innspruck  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Philip,  "  for  I  hope  your  Majesty  will  not 
refuse  to  conclude  a  truce  with  King  Henri  II." 

"  By  my  soul ! "  cried  the  emperor,  "  I  should  be  mad 
to  refuse  it,  and  even  not  to  propose  it." 

"Sire,"  said  Philip,  "it  would  make  France  too  super- 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.         169 

cilious  to  receive  such  a  proposition  from  you.  There- 
fore we  have  had  the  idea  —  Queen  Mary  and  I  —  of 
taking  the  business  upon  ourselves  in  the  interest  of 
your  dignity." 

"  And  you  have  come  to  obtain  my  permission  to  act  ? 
Well,  act ;  lose  no  time.  Send  into  France  your  most 
skilful  ambassadors ;  they  cannot  arrive  there  a  moment 
too  soon." 

"  We  thought  so  too,  Sire ;  and  we  have  sent  Cardinal 
Pole  to  King  Henri  to  demand  a  truce,  reserving  of 
course  to  your  Majesty  the  right  of  refusal." 

Charles  V.  shook  his  head.  "  He  will  not  arrive  in 
time,"  said  he ;  "  and  Henri  will  be  at  Brussels  before 
Cardinal  Pole  will  have  lauded  at  Calais." 

"  But  Cardinal  Pole  came  by  way  of  Ostende,  and  has 
joined  the  King  of  France  at  Dinant." 

"  Skilful  as  he  is,"  said  Charles  V.,  with  a  sigh,  "  I 
doubt  if  he  will  succeed  in  such  a  negotiation." 

"  Then  it  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  announce 
to  your  Majesty  that  he  has  been  already  successful," 
said  Philip.  "  The  King  of  France  agrees  to,  if  not  a 
truce,  at  least  armistice,  during  which  the  conditions  of 
the  truce  may  be  settled.  The  monastery  of  Vocelles, 
near  Cambrai,  has  been  selected  by  him  as  the  place  for 
the  conferences;  and  Cardinal  Pole,  when  he  came  to 
Brussels  to  announce  to  me  the  result  of  his  mission, 
told  me  that  he  thought  we  ought  to  make  no  difficulty 
on  this  point'* 

Charles  V.  frit  for  Don  Philip  something  like  admira- 
tion ;  the  latter  had  come  in  this  unostentatious  manner 
to  announce  to  him  the  happy  conclusion  of  a  negotia- 
tion which  he,  Charles  V.,  had  regarded  as  impossible. 
"  And  what  is  to  be  the  duration  of  this  truce  1 "  he 
asked. 


170  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  The  actual  or  the  stipulated  duration  ?" 

"  The  stipulated  duration." 

"  Five  years,  Sire." 

"  And  the  actual  ? " 

"  As  long  as  it  shall  please  God." 

"  And  how  long,  Don  Philip,  do  you  think  it  will  please 
God  that  it  shall  last  ?  " 

"  Why,"  said  the  King  of  England  and  of  Naples,  with 
a  hardly  perceptible  smile,  "just  long  enough  for  your 
Majesty  to  levy  in  Spain  a  reinforcement  of  ten  thou- 
sand Spaniards,  and  for  me  to  send  from  England  ten 
thousand  English  soldiers  to  your  assistance." 

"  My  son,"  said  Charles  V.,  "  this  truce  was  my  dearest 
wish,  and  —  and  as  you  have  obtained  it  for  me,  well,  I 
promise  you  that  you  shall  either  keep  it  or  break  it  at 
your  pleasure." 

"  I  do  not  understand  what  your  august  Majesty 
means,"  said  Philip,  whose  self-control  could  not  quite 
prevent  his  eyes  from  darting  a  flash  of  hope  and  covet- 
ousness.  He  saw  almost  within  reach  of  his  hand  the 
sceptre  of  Spain  and  the  Netherlands,  and  perhaps  even 
the  imperial  crown. 

Eight  days  later,  a  truce  was  concluded  in  the  following 
terms  :  — 

"  There  shall  be  a  five  years'  truce,  both  on  sea  and  land, 
equally  enjoyed  by  all  the  peoples,  States,  kingdoms,  and 
provinces,  of  the  emperor  as  well  as  those  of  the  King  of 
France  and  of  King  Philip.  During  all  these  five  years  there 
shall  be  suspension  of  hostilities,  but  each  one  of  these 
potentates  shall  keep  all  that  he  has  thus  far  acquired  in  war. 
His  Holiness  Paul  IV.  is  included  in  this  truce." 

Philip  himself  presented  the  treaty  to  the  emperor, 
who  looked  almost  with  terror  upon  the  impassive  face 
of  his  son. 


THE  DEMON  OF  THE  SOUTH.  171 

The  treaty  lacked  only  the  signature  of  Charles  V. 

Charles  V.  signed  it.  Then,  when  with  infinite  pain 
he  had  traced  the  seven  letters  of  his  name,  "  Sire,"  he 
said,  for  the  first  time  giving  his  son  this  title,  "  return 
to  London,  and  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  conie  to 
Brussels  at  my  first  request." 


172  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

CHARLES    V.    KEEPS    THE    PROMISE    GIVEN    TO    HIS    SON 
DON     PHILIP. 

ON  Wednesday,  Oct.  25,  1555,  the  streets  of  the  city  of 
Brussels  were  thronged  not  only  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  capital  of  Southern  Brabant,  but  by  those  of  the 
other  Flemish  States  belonging  to  Charles  V.  All  this 
crowd  was  hastening  toward  the  royal  palace,  which  is 
not  in  existence  at  the  present  time,  but  which  then 
stood  on  the  heights  of  the  city  toward  the  summit  of 
Caudenberg. 

A  general  assembly  had  been  convoked  by  the  emperor, 
the  object  of  which  was  as  yet  unknown  ;  it  had  been 
once  postponed,  and  was  to  take  place  on  that  day.  In 
preparation  for  this  gathering  the  interior  of  the  great 
hall  had  been  hung  with  tapestry  on  the  western  end,  — 
that  is  to  say,  on  the  side  toward  the  barriers,  —  and 
here  a  staging  had  been  erected  to  the  height  of  six  or 
seven  feet,  which  was  covered  with  rich  carpets,  and 
upon  which  were  arranged  three  large  empty  chairs  of 
state,  evidently  intended,  the  one  in  the  middle  for  the 
emperor,  that  on  the  right  for  the  King  Don  Philip, — 
who  had  arrived  the  evening  before,  —  and  the  other,  on 
the  left,  for  the  Queen  Dowager  of  Hungary,  Mary  of 
Austria,  Charles  V.'s  sister.  Above  these  chairs  was  sus- 
pended a  canopy  on  which  were  emblazoned  the  imperial 
arms.  There  were  also  benches  arranged  in  rows  on  each 
end  of  the  stage,  which  formed  with  the  three  chairs  a 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  173 

sort  of  semicircle.     Other  seats  were  arranged  on  the 
floor,  facing  the  stage  as  we  see  them  in  the  theatre. 

King  Philip,  Queen  Mary,  Queen  Eleanor,  the  widow 
of  Fra^ois  I.,  Maximilian,  King  of  Bohemia,  and  Chris- 
tine, Duchesse  de  Lorraine,  had  taken  lodgings  in  the  pal- 
ace. Charles  V.  alone  had  continued  to  occupy  what  he 
called  his  little  house  in  the  park. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  emperor  left  this 
little  house,  riding  a  mule  whose  easy  pace  caused  hirn 
less  suffering  than  any  other  means  of  locomotion.  As 
for  going  on  foot,  he  could  not  think  of  it ;  his  attack  of 
gout  had  redoubled  its  violence,  and  he  was  not  sure  that 
he  would  be  able  to  walk  from  the  entrance  to  the  stage  ; 
he  might  have  to  be  carried  even  that  short  distance. 
Kings  and  princes  followed  on  foot  the  emperor's  mule. 

The  emperor  wore  the  imperial  cloak  made  all  of  cloth 
of  gold,  over  which  fell  the  long  cordon  of  the  Golden 
Fleece.  He  had  his  crown  upon  his  head ;  but  the 
sceptre,  which  his  hand  had  no  longer  the  strength  to 
hold,  was  borne  before  him  on  a  red  velvet  cushion. 

The  personages  who  were  to  occupy  the  benches  ar- 
ranged at  the  ends  of  the  stage,  on  each  side  of  the  large 
chairs,  had  already  taken  their  places.  Upon  a  bench 
covered  with  rich  tapestry  which  stood  at  the  right  of 
the  chairs  of  state,  were  seated  the  knights  of  the  Golden 
Fleece.  Upon  the  bench  on  the  left,  carpeted  in  the 
same  manner,  were  princes,  grandees  of  Spain,  and  noble- 
men. Just  behind  these,  upon  other  benches  not  covered 
with  tapestry  were  the  three  councils,  —  the  council  of 
State,  the  privy  council,  and  the  council  of  finance. 
Finally,  upon  other  benches  arranged  on  the  floor  oppo- 
site the  stage  were  placed,  first,  the  deputies  from  Bra- 
bant, then  those  from  Flanders,  then  those  from  the 
other  States  according  to  their  respective  rights  of  pre- 


174  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

cedence.  The  galleries  running  around  the  hall  had  been 
since  morning  filled  with  spectators. 

At  about  four  o'clock  the  emperor  entered,  leaning 
upon  the  shoulder  of  William  of  Orange,  afterward  called 
William  the  Silent.  Next  to  William  of  Orange  came  Em- 
manuel Philibert,  accompanied  by  his  squire  and  page. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  emperor,  and  a  few  steps  distant 
«froin  him,  walked  a  man  of  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  unknown  to  every  one,  and  who  himself  seemed  to 
be  as  much  astonished  as  the  spectators  at  his  presence 
there.  It  was  Odoardo  Maraviglia,  who  had  been  taken 
from  confinement,  magnificently  dressed,  and  conducted 
to  this  place  without  knowing  where  he  was  going  or 
for  what  purpose  he  was  wanted. 

At  the  appearance  of  this  august  procession  led  by  the 
emperor,  the  crowd  of  spectators  rose  to  their  feet.  The 
Emperor  Charles  V.  ascended  the  steps  of  the  stage  with 
great  difficulty,  notwithstanding  the  assistance  rendered 
him  ;  and  it  could  easily  be  seen  that  it  required  indomi- 
table nerve  and  a  habit  of  self-control  acquired  through 
years  of  suffering,  to  prevent  him  from  uttering  a  cry  of 
agony  at  every  step.  He  sat  down  in  the  middle  chair, 
with  Don  Philip  on  his  right  and  Queen  Mary  on  his 
left. 

Then,  at  a  sign  from  the  emperor,  all  took  their  seats,  — 
with  the  exception,  on  one  side,  of  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
Emmanuel  Philibert,  and  the  two  persons  of  his  suite  ; 
and  on  the  other  side,  Odoardo  Maraviglia,  who,  free  and 
as  we  have  said  magnificently  dressed,  was  observing 
this  spectacle  in  astonishment. 

When  everybody  was  seated,  the  emperor  made  a 
sign  to  Councillor  Philibert  Brussellius  to  address  the 
assembly. 

Every  one  was  waiting  with  intense  curiosity,  except 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS   HIS   PROMISE.  175 

Don  Philip,  whose  countenance  remained  calm  and  im- 
passive. His  veiled  eye  seemed  to  see  nothing;  the 
blood  seemed  hardly  to  circulate  under  that  surface  pale 
and  lifeless. 

The  orator  explained  in  a  few  words  that  this  assem- 
bly of  kings,  princes,  Spanish  nobles,  knights  of  the 
Golden  Fleece,  deputies  from  the  provinces  of  Flanders, 
had  been  convoked  to  witness  the  abdication  of  the  Em- 
peror Charles  V.  in  favor  of  his  son,  Don  Philip,  who 
now  succeeded  to  the  emperor's  titles  of  King  of  Castile, 
Leon,  Grenada,  Navarre,  Aragon,  Naples,  the  islands  of 
Sicily  and  Majorca,  the  Indies,  and  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific  and  Atlantic  oceans ;  to  those  of  Archduke  of 
Austria,  Duke  of  Burgundy,  Lothier,  Brabant,  Luisbourg, 
Luxembourg,  and  Quelieres  to  those  of  Count  of  Flan- 
ders, Artois,  and  Burgundy ;  to  those  of  Palatin  of  Hai- 
naut,  Zealand,  Holland,  Feurette,  Haguenau,  Namur,  and 
Zutphen ;  and  finally  those  of  Prince  of  Zwane,  Marquis 
of  the  Holy  Empire,  Lord  of  Friesland,  Salmi,  Malines, 
and  the  cities,  towns,  and  territory  of  Utrecht,  Overyssel, 
and  Groeningen.  The  imperial  crown  was  reserved  for 
Ferdinand,  already  King  of  the  Romans. 

On  hearing  this  reservation,  a  livid  pallor  came  over 
Don  Philip's  face,  and  there  was  a  slight  twitching  of  the 
muscles  of  his  cheeks. 

This  abdication,  at  which  every  breath  was  suspended 
in  astonishment,  was  attributed  by  the  orator  to  the  em- 
peror's desire  to  return  to  Spain,  which  country  he  had 
not  visited  for  twelve  years,  and  especially  to  his  suffer- 
ing from  the  gout,  which  was  very  much  aggravated  by 
the  climate  of  Flanders  and  Germany.  He  concluded  by 
asking  them  in  the  empeior's  name  to  take  in  good  part 
this  transfer  of  their  allegiance  to  the  emperor's  son, 
Don  Philip;  and  by  way  of  peroration  called  upon  God 


176  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

to  keep  the  most  august  emperor  forever  under  his  watch- 
ful care  and  protection.  Philibert  Brussellius  ceased 
speaking,  and  resumed  his  seat. 

Then  the  emperor  arose  in  his  turn  ;  his  face  was  pale, 
and  gave  evidence  of  great  suffering ;  he  intended  to 
speak,  and  held  in  his  hand  a  paper  containing  his  written 
discourse,  to  which  he  might  refer  in  case  his  memory 
should  fail  him.  At  the  first  manifestation  of  his  inten- 
tion to  speak,  the  uproar  which  had  spread  through  the 
hall  at  the  end  of  Councillor  Brussellins's  speech  ceased 
as  if  by  enchantment ;  and  feeble  as  was  the  emperor's 
voice,  from  the  moment  he  opened  his  mouth  not  one  of* 
his  words  was  lost  by  his  audience. 

As  the  emperor  advanced  in  his  discourse,  and  looking' 
back  into  the  past  recalled  his  labors,  the  dangers  he  had 
encountered,  his  deeds,  and  his  designs,  his  tones  grew 
louder,  his  gestures  increased,  his  eye  became  singularly 
bright,  and  his  voice  took  on  those  solemn  intonations  in 
which  the  last  words  of  the  dying  are  spoken. 

"Dear  friends,"  he  said,1  "you  have  just  heard  my 
reasons  for  deciding  to  resign  my  sceptre  and  crown  into 
the  hands  of  my  son.  Let  me  add  a  few  words  which 
will  render  still  more  clear  to  you  my  resolution  and  my 
intention.  Dear  friends,  many  of  those  who  listen  to  me 
to-day  must  remember  that  it  was  exactly  forty  years 
ago  on  the  5th  of  January  last,  that  my  grandfather, 
Maximilian  of  glorious  memory,  released  me  from  his 
guardianship,  and  in  this  very  hall,  here,  at  this  very 
hour,  when  I  was  scarcely  fifteen  years  old,  made  me 
master  of  all  my  rights.  The  following  year,  King  Ferdi- 

1  "We  have  made  no  change  in  the  emperor's  discourse,  which  we 
borrow  from  a  publication  issued  in  1830,  in  Brussels,  by  the  hon- 
orable and  learned  assistant  curator  of  the  archives  of  the  kingdom, 
Monsieur  L.  P.  Gachard. 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  177 

nand  the  Catholic,  my  maternal  grandfather,  having 
died,  I  was  crowned,  being  at  that  time  only  sixteen 
years  of  age. 

"  My  mother  was  living  ;  but  although  living  and  still 
young,,  her  mind  had  been  so  deranged  by  the  death  of 
her  husband  that  she  was  in  no  condition  to  assume  the 
government  of  the  kingdoms  of  her  father  and  mother  ; 
therefore  it  was  necessary  for  me,  at  seventeen  years  of 
nge,  to  begin  my  travels  by  a  voyage  across  the  sea,  to 
take  possession  of  the  Kingdom  of  Spain.  Finally,  when 
my  grandfather  the  Emperor  Maximilian  died,  thirty-six 
years  ago,  —  I  was  then  nineteen,  —  I  ventured  to  ask 
(pr  the  crown  lie  had  worn,  not  because  I  wished  to  rule 
over  a  greater  number  of  countries,  but  that  I  might 
watch  more  effectually  over  the  welfare  of  Germany,  my 
other  kingdoms,  and  especially  my  beloved  Flanders.  It 
is  with  the  same  purpose  that  I  have  undertaken  and  ac- 
complished so  many  journeys  ;  count  them,  and  you  will 
be  astonished  at  their  number  and  extent. 

"  I  have  been  nine  times  in  upper  Germany,  six  times 
in  Spain,  seven  times  in  Italy,  ten  times  in  Belgium, 
and  twice  in  Africa, — making  in  all  forty  voyages  and 
expeditions,  without  including  the  excursions  of  less 
importance,  to  the  islands  or  subject  provinces.  In  per- 
forming these  journeys  I  have  crossed  eight  times  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  three  times  that  lying  toward  the 
west,  which  to-day  I  am  preparing  to  cross  for  the  last 
time. 

"  I  pass  over  in  silence  rny  journey  through  France, 
which  I  made  on  my  way  from  Spain  to  the  Netherlands, 
—  a  journey  to  which,  as  you  know,  I  was  forced  by 
serious  considerations. 

u  I  have  been  obliged,  on  account  of  numerous  and 
frequent  absences,  to  intrust  the  government  of  these 
VOL.  i.  — 12 


178  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

provinces  to  my  good  sister,  the  queen  here  present. 
Now,  I  know,  and  the  several  orders  of  the  State  know 
as  well  as  I,  how  she  has  discharged  her  duties. 

"  Besides  making  these  expeditions  I  have  carried  on 
many  wars.  All  have  been  undertaken  or  accepted  against 
my  will ;  and  to-day,  now  that  I  am  going  away  from  you, 
dear  friends,  my  greatest  sorrow  arises  from  my  inability 
to  leave  you  a  more  stable  peace,  a  more  assured  quiet. 

"All  these  things  have  not  been  accomplished,  as  you 
may  well  imagine,  without  hard  labor,  without  grievous 
fatigue;  and  my  paleness  of  face  and  the  feebleness  of  my 
body  bear  witness  to  the  gravity  of  this  fatigue  and  the 
severity  of  those  labors.  Do  not  think  me  so  ignorant 
of  myself  that  in  measuring  the  power  granted  me  by 
God  against  the  burden  laid  upon  me  by  circumstances, 
I  failed  to  perceive  my  insufficiency  for  the  task.  But 
it  seemed  to  me  that,  on  account  of  my  mother's  insanity 
and  my  brother's  youth,  it  would  have  been  a  crime  to 
set  down  so  soon  the  burden,  heavy  as  it  was,  which 
Providence,  in  giving  me  the  crown  and  sceptre,  had  in- 
trusted to  my  brains  and  arms. 

"  Yet,  the  last  time  I  left  Flanders  to  go  to  Germany, 
I  had  already  intended  to  carry  out  the  project  I  accom- 
plish to-day ;  but  seeing  the  wretched  condition  of 
affairs,  feeling  that  there  was  yet  some  strength  left  me, 
and  compelled  by  the  commotion  which  was  agitating  the 
Christian  republic,  —  attacked  at  once  by  the  Turks  and 
by  the  Lutherans,  — I  believed  it  to  be  my  duty  to  put 
off  my  period  of  rest,  and  to  sacrifice  to  my  people  what 
remained  to  me  of  strength  and  life.  I  was  in  a  fair 
way  to  accomplish  my  purpose,  when  the  German  princes 
and  the  King  of  France,  violating  their  pledges,  involved 
me  in  dissensions  and  battles.  The  former  attacked  me 
in  person,  and  came  near  taking  me  prisoner  at  Inn- 


CHARLES   V.  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  179 

spruck  ;  the  latter  seized  upon  the  city  of  Met/,  which 
was  a  possession  of  the  Empire.  Then  I  hastened  to 
besiege  it  myself  with  a  numerous  army.  I  was  van- 
quished, and  my  army  was  destroyed,  —  but  by  the  ele- 
ments, not  by  men.  To  counterbalance  the  loss  of  Metz, 
I  took  from  the  French  Therouanne  and  Hesdin.  I  did 
more  :  I  went  to  meet  the  King  of  France  before  Valenci- 
ennes, and  I  forced  him  to  retire,  doing  what  I  could  at 
the  battle  of  Renty,  and  deeply  regretting  my  inability  to 
do  more. 

"  But  now,  besides  my  incompetency,  which  I  have 
always  acknowledged,  I  am  weighed  down  by  this  disease, 
which  is  constantly  increasing  in  severity.  Fortunately, 
just  when  God  takes  from  me  my  mother,  he  gives  me  in 
return  a  son  who  is  old  enough  to  govern.  Now  that  my 
powers  are  failing,  and  I  am  drawing  near  to  death,  I 
have  no  temptation  to  place  love  and  the  passion  for 
ruling  before  the  well-being  and  tranquillity  of  my  sub- 
jects. Instead  of  an  infirm  old  man  who  has  already 
seen  the  best  part  of  himself  decay,  I  give  you  a  prince 
who  is  vigorous,  and  is  to  be  recommended  for  his  youth 
and  sturdy  virtue.  Promise  to  him  therefore  that  affec- 
tion and  that  fidelity  which  you  promised  to  me  and 
which  you  have  so  loyally  given.  Especially  take  care 
lest  the  heresies  which  surround  you  on  all  sides  steal 
into  your  midst,  destroying  the  brotherly  love  which 
should  unite  you  ;  and  if  you  see  that  they  are  pushing 
out  roots,  hasten  to  extirpate  them,  pull  them  from  the 
ground,  and  cast  them  away. 

"  And  now  as  a  last  word  about  myself,  to  what  I 
have  already  said  I  will  add  that  I  have  fallen  into 
many  errors,  either  through  ignorance  in  my  youth, 
through  pride  in  my  mature  age,  or  through  some  other 
weakness  inherent  in  human  nature.  At  the  same  time 


180  THE  DUKE'S   PAGE. 

I  here  declare  that  never  have  I  done,  knowingly  or  vol- 
untarily, injury  or  violence  to  any  one ;  and  when  I  have 
learned  that  violence  or  injury  has  been  done,  I  have  always 
made  repai'ation,  —  as,  before  you  all,  I  shall  presently 
do  in  regard  to  one  of  the  persons  here  present,  and 
whom  I  beg  to  await  the  reparation  with  patience  and 
forbearance." 

Then  turning  to  Don  Philip,  who,  as  the  emperor  fin- 
ished his  discourse,  threw  himself  at  his  feet,  "  My  son," 
he  said,  "  if  by  my  death  you  had  come  into  possession 
of  so  many  kingdoms  and  provinces,  I  should  doubtless 
even  then  have  deserved  at  your  hands  some  considera- 
tion for  leaving  you  so  magnificent  a  heritage,  whose 
wealth  I  have  done  so  much  to  increase.  But  since  you 
succeed  to  this  splendid  inheritance,  not  naturally  by  my 
death,  but  by  my  own  will ;  since  your  father  has  pre- 
ferred to  die  to  the  world  before  his  body  descends  into 
the  tomb,  that  you  may  enjoy  while  he  is  still  living  the 
advantages  of  this  inheritance,  —  I  ask  you,  and  I  have  a 
right  to  ask  you,  to  repay  in  the  care  and  love  of  your 
subjects  what  seems  due  rne  for  having  given  you  in  ad- 
vance the  pleasures  of  sovereignty. 

"  Other  kings  have  taken  pleasure  in  giving  life  to 
their  children  and  bequeathing  to  them  their  kingdoms  ; 
but  I  have  wished  to  take  from  death  the  glory  of  mak- 
ing you  this  gift,  —  taking  a  twofold  satisfaction  in  the 
fact  that  I  am  both  the  author  of  your  existence  and  the 
source  of  your  power.  There  will  be  few  to  imitate  my 
example,  as  I  have  found  in  the  past  centuries  few  exam- 
ples worthy  of  imitation  ;  but  at  least  my  plan  will  meet 
with  approval  if  by  your  administration  you  justify  this 
first  experiment ;  and  you  will  accomplish  this,  my  son, 
if  you  preserve  that  quickness  of  discernment  which  you 
have  hitherto  exhibited,  if  you  pass  your  life  in  the  fear 


CHARLES  V.  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  181 

of  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  if  you  undertake  the  de- 
fence of  the  Catholic  religion  and  the  protection  of  jus- 
tice and  the  laws,  which  constitute  the  great  moral  force 
and  the  best  support  of  empires.  Finally,  my  last  prayer 
in  your  behalf  shall  be  that  you  may  be  so  fortunate  in 
your  children  as  to  be  able  to  transfer  to  them,  freely 
and  without  fear,  your  empire  and  your  sovereignty,  and 
without  being  constrained  to  it  as  I  am." 

After  saying  these  words  —  whether  his  discourse  was 
really  finished  or  was  interrupted  by  emotion  —  Charles  V. 
lost  his  voice;  and  laying  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  his 
son  kneeling  before  him,  he  stood  motionless  and  speech- 
less, the  tears  flowing  freely  and  silently  down  over  his 
cheeks. 

Then,  after  a  minute  of  this  silence,  which  was  more 
eloquent  than  the  discourse  he  had  just  delivered,  as 
his  strength  seemed  about  to  give  way,  he  reached  out 
his  hand  to  his  sister,  while  Don  Philip,  rising  from  his 
kneeling  posture,  put  his  arm  about  his  waist  to  support 
him.  Queen  Mary  drew  from  her  pocket  a  small  crystal 
bottle  containing  a  red  liquor,  and  turned  the  contents 
into  a  little  gold  cup,  which  she  presented  to  him. 

While  the  emperor  was  drinking,  every  one  in  the 
assembly  gave  way  to  emotion.  There  were  among 
them,  whether  personal  friends  of  the  emperor  or  mere 
subjects,  few  hearts  that  were  not  touched,  few  eyes 
that  were  not  dimmed  with  tears. 

It  was  indeed  a  grand  spectacle  which  was  presented 
to  the  world  by  this  sovereign,  this  warrior,  this  Caesar, 
who,  after  a  forty  years'  reign  such  as  Providence  has 
permitted  to  few  men,  voluntarily  descended  from  the 
throne,  and  weary  in  body,  weighed  down  in  spirit,  pro- 
claimed aloud  the  vanity  of  human  greatness  before  the 
successor  to  whom  he  resigned  it. 


182  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

But  a  still  more  extraordinary  spectacle  was  to  follow, 
which  had  been  promised  by  the  emperor.  It  was  that 
of  a  man  publicly  acknowledging  the  commission  of  a 
wrong,  and  asking  pardon  of  him  whom  he  had  injured. 

The  emperor  knew  that  all  were  awaiting  what  he  had 
promised,  and  collecting  his  forces,  he  gently  pushed  his 
son  aside.  As  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  he  was  about  to 
speak  again,  all  were  silent. 

"  Dear  friends,"  said  the  emperor,  "  I  just  now  prom- 
ised public  reparation  to  a  man  whom  I  have  offended. 
I  therefore  call  you  to  witness  that,  after  boasting  of  my 
good  actions,  I  make  confession  of  my  evil  deeds." 

Then  turning  toward  the  unknown  in  the  magnificent 
dress,  whom  everybody  had  already  remarked,  "  Odoardo 
Maraviglia,"  he  said  in  a  firm  voice,  "  come  forward  !  " 

The  young  man  to  whom  this  formal  request  was  ad- 
dressed turned  pale,  and  trembling  all  over,  drew  near  to 
Charles  V. 

"  Count,"  said  the  emperor,  "  whether  willingly  or  un- 
willingly, I  have  done  you  grievous  wrong  in  the  person 
of  your  father,  who  suffered  a  cruel  death  in  the  prison 
of  Milan.  That  deed  has  often  presented  itself  to  my 
memory  veiled  in  doubt;  to-day  it  appears  to  me  a 
spectre  shrouded  in  remorse.  Count  Maraviglia,  before 
all  present,  iri  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  at  the  moment 
of  throwing  aside  the  imperial  cloak  which  for  thirty-six 
years  has  hung  upon  my  shoulders,  I  humiliate  myself 
before  you,  and  entreat  you  not  only  to  pardon  me,  but 
to  intercede  for  me  with  God,  who  will  perhaps  grant 
more  to  the  entreaties  of  the  victim  than  to  the  suppli- 
cations of  the  murderer." 

Odoardo  Maraviglia  fell  on  his  knees  with  a  cry. 

"  Most  noble  Emperor  !  "  he  said,  "  not  without  reason 
has  the  world  called  you  august.  Oh,  yes,  yes,  I  pardon 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  183 

you  in  my  own  name  and  that  of  my  father !  Oh,  yes, 
God  will  pardon  you  !  But  I,  august  Emperor,  of  whom 
can  I  ask  a  pardon  which  I  no  longer  grant  myself? " 

Then  rising,  "  Gentlemen,"  said  Maraviglia,  turning 
toward  the  assembly,  "you  see  in  me  a  man  who  in- 
tended to  assassinate  the  emperor,  and  whom  the  empe- 
ror has  not  only  pardoned,  but  entreated  for  forgiveness. 
King  Don  Philip,"  he  added,  bowing  low  before  him  who 
henceforth  would  be  called  Philip  II.,  "  the  murderer 
places  himself  in  your  hands." 

"  My  son,"  said  Charles  V.,  whose  strength  was  failing 
for  the  second  time,  "  1  recommend  this  man  to  you  ;  let 
his  life  be  sacred  to  you  !  "  And  he  fell  back  almost 
fainting  upon  his  chair. 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Emmanuel,"  said  the  Duke  of  Savoy's 
page,  taking  advantage  of  the  commotion  occasioned  by 
the  accident  which  had  happened  to  the  emperor  to  steal 
up  to  his  master's  side,  "  how  good  you  are !  how  great 
you  are  !  I  see  your  influence  in  what  has  just  occurred." 
And  before  Emmanuel  Philibert  could  prevent  it,  Leone- 
Leona,  his  heart  swelling  with  emotion,  and  his  eyes  full 
of  tears,  had  kissed  Emmanuel's  hand  with  almost  as 
much  respect  as  love. 

The  ceremony,  one  moment  interrupted  by  the  unex- 
pected event  we  have  just  related,  and  which  was  not 
the  least  affecting  scene  of  that  solemn  day,  must  resume 
its  course,  for  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to  consummate 
the  abdication,  that  after  Charles  V.  had  resigned, 
Philip  II.  should  accept. 

Philip,  who  had  made  a  sign  of  acquiescence  in  the 
recommendation  of  his  father,  bowed  again  very  humbly 
before  him,  and  in  Spanish  —  a  language  which  many  of 
those  present  did  not  speak,  but  which  most  of  them 
understood  —  he  said,  in  a  tone  in  which  for  the  first 


184  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

time,  perhaps,  there  crept  a  shadow  of  emotion,  "  I  have 
never  merited,  most  invincible  Emperor,  my  honored 
father,  nor  could  I  expect  ever  to  merit,  a  paternal  love 
so  exalted,  such  as  most  assuredly  never  before  has  ex- 
isted in  this  world,  or  at  least  never  has  expressed  itself 
in  so  noble  a  mauner.  This  generosity  at  once  over- 
whelms me  with  humiliation  when  I  consider  my  un- 
worthiness,  and  fills  me  with  gratitude  and  respect  when 
I  think  of  your  greatness.  But  since  you  have  been 
pleased  to  treat  me  so  tenderly  and  generously  in  the 
exercise  of  your  august  beneficence,  I  beg  you  to  extend 
your  kindness,  my  very  dear  father,  to  putting  faith  in 
my  determination  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  convince  your 
people  of  the  wisdom  of  the  measures  you  have  taken  in 
my  behalf,  by  exerting  myself  to  govern  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  the  States  shall  be  assured  of  the  affection  I 
have  always  entertained  for  them." 

After  saying  these  words,  he  kissed  several  times  his 
father's  hand,  while  the  latter,  pressing  him  to  his  breast, 
said :  "  My  dear  son,  may  God  send  you  his  most  precious 
blessings  and  his  divine  assistance  !  " 

Then  Don  Philip  once  more  pressed  his  father's  hand 
to  his  lips,  arose,  turned  toward  the  deputies  from  the 
States,  saluted  them,  and  with  hat  in  hand,  —  like  those 
who  listened  to  him,  with  the  exception  of  the  emperor, 
who  alone  kept  his  hat  on  and  remained  seated,  —  he 
spoke  in  French  the  following  words,  which  we  give 
exactly,  in  order  not  to  detract  from  their  peculiar 
characteristics  :  — 

"  Gentlemen,  I  regret  that  I  cannot  address  you  in 
your  native  language,  and  assure  you  of  the  affection  and 
good-will  I  bear  you ;  but  as  I  am  not  sufficiently  famil- 
iar with  the  French  language,  I  will  ask  the  Bishop  of 
Arras  to  speak  for  me." 


CHARLES  V.  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  185 

Immediately  Antoiue  Perrenot  de  Grauvelle,  who  was 
afterward  cardinal,  acting  as  the  prince's  interpreter, 
began  by  praising  Don  Philip's  zeal  for  the  good  of  his 
subjects,  and  declared  his  determination  to  conform  ex- 
actly to  the  good  and  wise  instructions  just  given  him  by 
the  emperor. 

Then  Queen  Mary,  the  emperor's  sister,  ruler  during 
the  last  twenty-six  years  of  the  provinces  of  the  Nether- 
lands, arose  in  her  turn,  and  in  a  few  words  resigned  into 
the  hands  of  her  nephew  the  regency  with  which  she  had 
been  intrusted  by  her  brother. 

After  which,  King  Philip  took  an  oath  to  maintain  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  his  subjects ;  and  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  assembly,  princes.  Spanish  nobles,  knights  of 
the  Golden  Fleece,  deputies  from  the  provinces,  either  in 
their  own  name,  or  in  the  name  of  those  whom  they  rep- 
resented, swore  obedience  to  him. 

When  this  reciprocal  oath  had  been  taken,  Charles  V. 
arose,  yielded  his  chair  to  Don  Philip,  put  the  crown  upon 
his  head,  and  said  in  a  loud  voice  :  "  God  grant  that  this 
crown  be  not  a  crown  of  thorns  for  his  elect ! "  Then 
he  took  a  step  in  the  direction  of  the  door. 

In  an  instant  Don  Philip,  the  Prince  of  Orange,  Em- 
manuel Philibert,  and  all  the  princes  and  noblemen  pres- 
ent sprang  to  the  emperor's  assistance  ;  but  he  made  a 
sign  to  Maraviglia,  who  came  up  in  a  hesitating  manner, 
for  he  could  not  understand  what  the  emperor  wanted 
of  him. 

The  emperor  would  accept  no  other  aid  as  he  withdrew 
than  that  of  this  same  Maraviglia  of  whose  father's  death 
he  had  been  the  cause,  and  who  in  expiation  of  this 
bloody  deed  had  attempted  to  assassinate  him. 

But  as  the  other  arm  of  the  emperor  fell  inert  by  his 
side,  "Sire,"  said  Emmanuel  Philibert,  "allow  my  page 


186  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Leone  also  to  support  your  Majesty,  and  the  honor  con- 
ferred on  him  I  shall  consider  as  bestowed  upon  my- 
self." And  he  pushed  Leone  toward  the  emperor. 

Charles  V.  looked  at  the  page  and  recognized  him. 
"  Ah,  ah,"  he  said,  raising  his  arm  so  that  the  page  might 
offer  him  his  shoulder,  "  it  is  the  young  man  who  refused 
the  diamond.  You  wish  then  to  be  reconciled  with  me, 
my  pretty  page  ? " 

Then  looking  at  his  hand,  upon  the  little  finger  of 
which  only,  on  account  of  the  pain  he  suffered,  he  wore  a 
gold  ring,  "You  have  not  gained  by  waiting,  my  pretty 
page,"  he  said  ;  "  in  the  place  of  a  diamond  you  will  have 
only  this  simple  ring.  It  bears  my  initials,  to  be  sure  j 
which  I  hope  will  be  to  you  some  compensation."  And 
drawing  the  ring  from  his  little  finger,  he  put  it  upon 
Leone's  thumb,  all  the  fingers  of  that  delicate  hand  being 
too  small  to  retain  the  ring. 

Then  he  left  the  hall,  observed  by  every  eye,  amid 
the  acclamations  of  the  assembly.  Those  eyes  would 
have  observed  moi'e  curiously,  those  acclamations  would 
have  been  more  enthusiastic,  if  the  lookers-on  could  have 
known  that  this  emperor  descending  from  the  throne, 
this  Christian  withdrawing  into  retirement,  this  sinner 
who  had  humiliated  himself  to  be  pardoned,  was  with- 
drawing toward  his  last  resting-place  supported  not  only 
by  the  son  but  also  by  the  daughter  of  that  unfortu- 
nate Francesco  Maraviglia  whom  he  had  caused  to  be 
murdered  twenty  years  before  in  a  dungeon  of  the  for- 
tress of  Milan.  It  was  an  illustration  of  the  penitent 
sustained  by  prayer, — that  is  to  say,  according  to  the 
words  of  Jesus  Christ,  a  spectacle  most  pleasing  in  the 
sight  of  God. 

On  arriving  at  the  gate  of  the  solitary  street  where 
the  mule  which  had  brought  him  to  the  palace  awaited 


CHARLES   V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  187 

him,  Charles  V.  permitted  neither  of  the  young  persons 
to  go  a  step  farther,  and  sent  Odoardo  back  to  his  new 
sovereign  Don  Philip,  and  Leone  to  his  old  master  Em- 
manuel Philibert. 

Then,  without  other  guard,  without  other  suite,  with- 
out other  cortege  than  the  groom  who  held  the  bridle  of 
his  gentle  mount,  he  took  his  way  to  the  little  house  in 
the  park ;  and  no  one  who  saw  this  humble  pilgrim  rid- 
ing thus  in  the  darkness  guessed  that  it  was  he  whose 
abdication  was  at  this  hour  occupying  the  attention  of 
Brussels,  and  would  soou  attract  the  attention  of  the 
whole  world. 

Charles  V.,  on  arriving  at  the  little  house  in  the  park, 
which  occupied  then  the  place  where  stands  now  the  pal- 
ace of  the  chamber  of  representatives,  found  the  gate  un- 
fastened. The  groom,  therefore,  had  only  to  press  against 
it  to  admit  the  mule  and  his  rider. 

By  his  master's  orders  the  groom  led  the  mule  to  the 
door  of  the  house,  in  order  to  shorten  the  distance  which 
his  master  would  be  obliged  to  walk  to  reach  the  salon, 
and  then  took  Charles  V.  in  his  arms  and  set  him  down 
on  the  threshold. 

This  door  was  open  also.  Charles  V.  paid  no  heed  to 
this  circumstance,  absorbed  as  he  was  in  reflections  which 
it  is  easier  for  our  readers  to  imagine  than  it  would  be  for 
us  to  describe.  Leaning  on  his  cane,  —  which  he  found 
in  the  same  place  where  he  had  left  it  two  hours  before, 
that  is  to  say,  behind  the  door,  —  and  on  the  other  side 
supported  by  the  arm  of  his  servant,  he  reached  the  salon 
hung  with  warm  curtains,  furnished  with  thick  carpets, 
and  in  the  chimney  of  which  burned  a  bright  fire. 

The  salon  was  lighted  only  by  the  light  of  the  flames, 
which  wound  themselves  greedily  around  the  brands 
while  consuming  them ;  but  this  half-light  was  more  in 


188  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

harmony  with  the  thoughtful  mood  of  the  most  august 
emperor  than  a  brighter  light  would  have  been. 

He  lay  down  on  a  couch,  and  sending  the  groom  to 
his  stable,  he  ran  over  in  his  mind  all  the  phases  of  that 
life  so  filled  by  the  events  of  a  half-century, — and  what 
a  half-century  !  He  recalled  the  times  of  Henry  VIII., 
Maximilian,  Clement  VII.,  Fran9ois  I.,  Soliman,  and 
Luther !  He  constrained  his  memory  to  go  back  over 
the  road  by  which  he  had  journeyed,  retracing  the  course 
of  its  years,  like  a  traveller  who  at  the  end  of  his  life  re- 
ascends  the  river  with  flowery  and  fragrant  banks  which 
he  had  descended  in  his  youth. 

The  journey  was  grand,  imposing,  and  magnificent. 
Its  course  lay  through  admiring  tributes  of  courtiers, 
acclamations  of  multitudes,  and  homage  of  peoples 
gathered  to  witness  that  wonderful  career. 

All  at  once  in  the  midst  of  this  revery  which  was  less 
that  of  a  man  than  of  a  god,  one  of  the  burning  brands 
broke,  one  piece  falling  into  the  ashes,  while  the  other 
rolled  upon  the  carpet,  causing  immediately  a  thick  smoke 
to  rise.  This  incident,  trivial  as  it  was,  and  perhaps 
because  of  its  very  triviality,  recalled  Charles  V.  to 
reality. 

"  Here,"  said  he,  calling ;  "  who  is  in  waiting  here  1 
Somebody  here !  " 

No  one  answered. 

"  Is  there  no  one  in  the  antechambers  ] "  cried  the 
ex-emperor,  impatiently,  and  striking  the  floor  with  his 
cane. 

This  second  call  received  no  more  response  than  the 
first. 

"  Come,  somebody,  and  attend  to  this  fire,  and  make 
haste  ! "  cried  Charles  V.,  more  impatiently  than  before. 

Still  no  answer. 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  189 

"Oh,"  be  murmured,  dragging  himself  from  one  piece 
of  furniture  to  another  until  he  reached  the  fireplace,  — 
"  already  alone,  deserted  !  If  Providence  wishes  to  in- 
spire me  with  repentance  for  what  I  have  done,  the 
lesson  has  come  quickly  ! " 

And  then  he  himself  with  his  aching  hands  took  up 
the  tongs  and  with  painful  efforts  mended  the  fire  which 
there  was  no  one  there  to  arrange  for  him.  All,  from 
the  princes  to  the  valets,  had  gone  to  salute  the  new 
king,  Don  Philip. 

The  emperor  was  thrusting  back  with  his  foot  from  the 
carpet  the  last  smoking  embers,  when  a  step  was  heard 
in  the  antechamber,  and  the  form  of  a  man  appeared 
in  the  open  door,  barely  visible  in  the  dim  light. 

"  At  last !  "  murmured  the  emperor. 

"  Sire,"  said  the  new-comer,  seeing  that  Charles  V. 
had  mistaken  him  for  somebody  else,  "  your  Majesty  will 
excuse  me  for  presenting  myself  thus  ;  but  finding  all  the 
doors  open,  and  seeing  no  one  in  the  antechamber  to 
announce  me,  I  ventured  to  announce  myself." 

"  Announce  yourself  then,  Monsieur,"  replied  Charles 
V.,  who,  as  may  be  seen,  readily  adapted  himself  to  the 
role  of  private  gentleman.  "  Well,  who  are  you  1 " 

"  Sire,"  replied  the  unknown,  most  respectfully,  and 
bowing  almost  to  the  ground,  "  I  am  Gaspard  de  Cha- 
tillon,  Sire  de  Coligny,  Admiral  of  France,  and  Envoy 
Extraordinary  of  his  Majesty  King  Henri  II." 

"Monsieur  Envoy  Extraordinary  of  his  Majesty  King 
Henri  II."  said  Charles  V.,  with  a  bitter  smile,  "you 
have  mistaken  the  door.  It  is  no  longer  with  me  that 
you  should  treat,  but  with  King  Philip  II.,  my  successor 
to  the  throne  of  Naples  nine  months  since,  and  to  the 
throne  of  Spain  and  the  Indies  twenty  minutes  ago." 

"Sire,"  said  Coligny,  in  the  same  respectful  tone,  bow- 


190  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

ing  for  the  second  time,  "  whatever  change  may  have 
taken  place  in  the  fortunes  of  King  Philip  II.  nine 
months  ago  or  twenty  minutes  ago,  you  are  to  me  still 
the  sovereign  elect  of  Germany,  the  most  mighty, 
most  holy,  and  most  august  Emperor  Charles  V. ;  and 
as  it  is  to  your  Majesty  that  my  king's  letter  is  ad- 
dressed, your  Majesty  will  permit  me  to  deliver  it  to 
you." 

"  lu  that  case,  Monsieur  PAmiral,"  said  Charles  V., 
"  help  me  to  light  these  candles,  for  it  seems  that  my 
son  Philip's  accession  to  the  throne  has  deprived  me  of 
even  my  last  lackey."  And  the  emperor,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  the  admiral,  set  about  lighting  the  candles 
already  placed  in  candelabra,  that  he  might  see  to  read 
the  letter  addressed  to  him  by  King  Henri  II.;  and  prob- 
ably, also,  he  was  anxious  to  see  the  man  who  for  three 
years  had  been  so  formidable  an  adversary  to  him. 

Gaspard  de  Chatillon,  Sire  de  Coligny,  was  at  this 
time  a  man  from  thirty-eight  to  thirty-nine  years  of  age, 
with  piercing  eyes,  of  martial  bearing,  tall,  and  well 
built,  Loyal  and  bold  in  character,  he  had  been  as 
great  a  favorite  with  Franqois  I.  as  he  was  with  Henri 
II.,  and  was  destined  to  be  with  King  FranQois  II. 

For  the  treacherous  assassination  of  a  man  such  as  he, 
— however  extended  might  be  the  massacre  of  August 
24,  1572,  —  was  needed  a  combination  of  the  inherited 
hatred  of  Henri  Due  de  Guise,  the  hypocrisy  of  Cathe- 
rine de'  Medici,  and  the  weakness  of  Charles  IX. 

This  hatred,  which  at  the  time  of  the  illustrious  ad- 
miral's first  appearance  on  this  stage,  was  just  beginning 
to  separate  him  from  his  old  friend  Franqois  de  Guise, 
had  taken  rise  on  the  battlefield  of  Renty.  In  their 
youth  these  two  great  captains,  whose  combined  genius 
might  have  had  such  marvellous  results,  had  been  very 


CHARLES   V.  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  101 

intimate  ;  they  enjoyed  together  all  sports,  all  work,  and 
all  exercises.  In  their  studies  of  antiquity  they  selected 
for  models  not  only  the  men  who  were  noble  examples  of 
courage,  but  also  those  who  illustrated  the  sentiment  of 
fraternity. 

The  mutual  affection  of  these  two  young  persons  car- 
ried them  to  the  extreme  of  wearing  the  same  ornaments 
and  the  same  kind  of  dress.  If  King  Henri  II.  wished  to 
send  a  messenger  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  and  this 
messenger  was  other  than  Constable  de  Montmorency, 
it  would  be  either  the  Admiral  de  Coligny  or  the  Due 
de  Guise. 

The  emperor  looked  at  the  admiral  with  a  degree  of 
admiration.  It  would  be  impossible  to  find  a  man  —  so 
all  contemporaneous  historians  declare  —  who  would 
better  represent  iu  his  appearance  the  character  of  a 
great  captain. 

Still,  Charles  V.  instantly  understood  that  Coligny 
had  been  sent  to  Brussels,  not  exactly  to  bring  him  the 
letter  he  held  in  his  hand,  but  rather  to  report  to  the 
court  of  France  what  had  taken  place  in  the  palace 
at  Brussels  on  this  very  day,  Oct.  25,  1555.  And  there- 
fore the  first  question  the  emperor  asked  of  Coligny, 
when  a  few  moments'  observation  of  Henri  II.'s  messen- 
ger had  satisfied  his  curiosity,  was  this:  "When  did  you 
arrive,  Monsieur  1'Amiral  I" 

"  This  morning,  Sire,"  replied  Coligny. 

"  And  you  have  brought  me  —  " 

"This  letter  from  his  Majesty  King  Henri  II."  And 
he  presented  the  letter  to  the  emperor. 

The  emperor  took  it,  but  after  several  useless  efforts 
found  himself  unable  to  break  the  seal,  to  such  an  extent 
had  the  gout  stiffened  his  fingers. 

Then  the  admiral  offered  to  assist  him.     Charles  V. 


192  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

handed  him  the  letter,  smiling.  "  Indeed,  Monsieur 
1'Amiral,"  he  said,  "am  I  not  a  fine  cavalier  to  joust 
and  break  a  lance,  when  I  cannot  even  break  a  seal  1 " 

The  admiral  was  about  to  return  the  opened  letter  to 
Charles  V.,  but  the  emperor  said  :  "  No,  no  ;  read  it, 
Monsieur  1'Amiral,  —  my  sight  is  as  weak  as  my  hand. 
I  think  you  will  admit  that  I  have  done  well  to  resign 
my  power  and  authority  into  the  hands  of  a  man  younger 
and  more  adroit."  The  emperor  emphasized  this  last 
word. 

The  admiral  did  not  answer,  but  began  to  read  the 
letter ;  while  he  was  thus  engaged  Charles  V.,  who  pre- 
tended not  to  look  at  him,  was  hi  fact  observing  him 
with  a  searching  gaze. 

The  letter  contained  simply  the  information  that  the 
King  of  France  sent  to  the  emperor  the  final  form  of  the 
agreement  for  a  truce,  —  the  preparatory  draft  having 
been  made  five  or  six  months  previously.  When  this 
letter  was  read,  Coligny  drew  from  his  vest  the  docu- 
ment signed  by  the  plenipotentiaries  and  stamped  with 
the  royal  seal  of  France.  The  counterpart  of  this  paper, 
signed  by  Spanish,  German,  and  English  plenipotentia- 
ries, and  stamped  with  the  seal  of  the  Empire,  had  been 
previously  sent  by  Charles  V.  to  Henri  II. 

The  emperor  cast  a  glance  over  these  political  con- 
tracts, and  as  if  he  divined  that  a  year  would  not  pass 
before  they  would  be  broken,  he  laid  them  down  upon 
a  large  table  covered  with  a  black  cloth,  and  with  the 
help  of  the  admiral's  arm  moved  toward  his  chair. 
"  Monsieur  1'Amiral,"  said  he,  "  is  it  not  a  miracle  of 
Providence  which  permits  me  to-day,  powerless  and  re- 
tired from  the  world,  to  lean  for  support  on  the  arm 
which  in  the  very  height  of  my  sovereignty  came  near 
overthrowing  me  1 " 


CHARLES  V.  KEEPS  HIS   PROMISE.  193 

"  Oh,  Sire,"  replied  the  admiral,  "  there  was  only 
one  man  who  could  overthrow  Charles  V.,  —  that  was 
Charles  V.  himself;  and  if  it  was  the  lot  of  pygmies  like 
myself  to  struggle  with  a  giant,  it  was  because  God 
wished  to  prove  beyond  question  our  weakness  and  your 
power." 

Charles  V.  smiled.  Evidently  the  compliment  did  not 
displease  him,  coming  as  it  did  from  a  man  like  the  ad- 
miral. Resuming  his  seat,  and  motioning  to  Coligny  to 
be  seated  also,  "Enough  of  this,  Admiral!"  he  said. 
"  I  am  no  longer  emperor  ;  I  am  no  longer  either  king 
or  prince ;  I  am  done  with  flattery.  Let  us  change  the 
conversation.  How  is  my  brother  Henri  ] " 

"  He  is  wonderfully  well,  Sire,"  replied  the  admiral, 
accepting  the  invitation  to  sit  down,  which  the  emperor 
repeated. 

"  Ah,  how  glad  I  am  of  that !  "  said  Charles  V.  "  And 
I  have  reason  to  be  glad,  for  I  have  the  great  honor  to 
be  allied  on  my  mother's  side  to  the  king  who  wears  the 
most  celebrated  crown  in  the  world.  But,"  he  continued, 
affecting  to  bring  back  the  conversation  to  the  ordinary 
events  of  life,  "  I  have  heard  that  my  dear  brother  is 
getting  gray  ;  and  yet  it  seems  but  yesterday  that  he 
was  in  Spain,  a  mere  beardless  boy.  But  that  was 
twenty  years  ago  !  "  And  Chai'les  V.  sighed,  as  if  these 
words  which  had  escaped  his  lips  had  reopened  to  his 
view  the  vast  horizon  of  the  past. 

"  The  fact  is,  Sire,"  said  Coligny,  in  answer  to  the 
emperor's  remark,  "  that  his  Majesty  King  Henri  does 
begin  to  show  gray  hairs,  but  only  two  or  three  at 
most  ;  but  many  a  man  younger  than  he  has  gray 
hairs." 

"  Oh,  what  you  say  is  very  true,  my  dear  Admiral !  " 
exclaimed  the  emperor.  "Allow  me,  who  question  you 
VOL.  i.  — 13 


194  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

about  my  brother  Henri's  white  hairs,  to  tell  you  the 
story  of  mine.  I  was  about  as  old  as  he  is  now,  — 
scarcely  thirty-six  or  thirty-seven  years,  —  and  on  my 
return  voyage  from  Goulette  I  had  arrived  at  Naples. 
You  know  the  fastidiousness  of  that  admirable  city  of 
Naples,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  —  the  beauty  and  grace  of  the 
ladies  who  live  there  1 " 

Coliguy  bowed,  smiling. 

"  I  am  a  man,"  continued  Charles  V. ;  "I  wished  to 
please  as  well  as  others.  So  the  day  after  my  arrival  I 
sent  for  my  barber  to  curl  and  perfume  my  hair.  This 
man  placed  before  me  a  mirror,  that  I  might  watch  the 
operation.  It  was  a  long  time  since  I  had  looked  at  my- 
self. That  was  a  fierce  war  which  I  waged  against  the 
Turks,  the  allies  of  my  brother  Francois  I.  Suddenly  I 
cried  out,  'Eh,  barber,  my  friend,  what  is  that1?'  'Sire,' 
replied  the  barber,  '  it  is  two  or  three  white  hairs.'  Now 
I  must  tell  you  that  the  flatterer  lied ;  there  were  not  two 
or  three,  as  he  pretended,  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  dozen. 
'  Quick,  quick,  master  barber,'  I  said,  '  take  out  these 
hairs !  Do  not  leave  one  of  them  ! '  He  pulled  them 
out ;  but  what  do  you  think  happened  1  Some  time 
after,  looking  at  myself  again  in  the  mirror,  I  perceived 
that  for  every  silver  thread  which  had  been  taken  out,  ten 
more  had  come  in  its  place,  so  that  if  I  had  taken  out 
the  latter  in  their  turn,  in  less  than  a  year  I  should  have 
been  as  white  as  a  swan.  Therefore,  tell  my  brother 
Henri,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  to  guard  carefully  his  three 
white  hairs,  and  not  to  allow  them  to  be  taken  out,  even 
by  the  fair  hands  of  Madame  de  Valentinois." 

"  I  will  not  fail,  Sire,"  replied  Coligny,  laughing. 

"  And  speaking  of  Madame  de  Valentinois,"  continued 
Charles  V.,  showing  by  this  transition  that  he  was  no 
stranger  to  the  scandal  of  the  court  of  Heuri  II.,  "  what 


CHARLES   V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  195 

tidings,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  of  your  dear  uncle,  the  grand 
constable  ? " 

"Oh,  excellent,"  replied  the  admiral,  "although  hia 
hair  is  all  white." 

"  Yes,"  said  Charles  V.,  "  his  hair  is  white  ;  but  he  is 
of  the  nature  of  leeks,  which  also  have  a  white  head, 
while  the  rest  of  the  body  is  green.  And  this  is  neces- 
sary to  him,  dancing  attendance  as  he  does  upon  the  fine 
ladies  of  the  court.  Ah,  let  me  see,  —  for  I  do  not  wish 
to  let  you  go,  my  dear  Admiral,  without  asking  you 
about  everybody,  —  how  is  the  daughter  of  our  old 
friend  Francois  I.  ? "  And  Charles  V.  smiled  as  he  laid 
a  peculiar  emphasis  on  these  three  words,  "  our  old 
friend." 

"Does  your  Majesty  refer  to  Madame  Marguerite  of 
France  ? " 

"  Is  she  still  called  the  fourth  Grace,  the  tenth  Muse  1 " 

"  Yes,  Sire ;  and  every  day  she  grows  more  worthy  this 
twofold  title  on  account  of  the  patronage  she  bestows 
upon  our  great  men  of  letters,  such  as  Messieurs  de  1' Hos- 
pital, Ronsard,  and  Dorat." 

"  Eh  ! "  said  Charles  V.,  "  it  would  seem  as  if  our  brother 
Henri  II.,  jealous  of  his  neighbor  kings,  wished  to  keep 
for  himself  this  beautiful  pearl ;  I  hear  nothing  said  yet 
of  a  marriage  for  Madame  Marguerite,  and  yet  she  must 
be  "  (Charles  V.  pretended  to  be  searching  his  memory) 
"  nearly  thirty-two  years  of  age." 

"  Yes,  Sire  ;  but  she  appears  to  be  scarcely  twenty. 
She  grows  more  beautiful  and  blooming  every  day." 

"  It  is  the  privilege  of  roses  to  put  forth  new  leaves  and 
buds  every  spring-time,"  replied  Charles  V.  "  But  apro- 
pos of  roses  and  buds,  tell  me,  my  dear  Admiral,  what  is 
the  plan  of  the  court  of  France  with  regard  to  our  young 
Queen  of  Scots  1  Can  I  not  help  you  to  arrange  her 


196  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

affairs  through  my  influence  with  my  daughter-in-law  the 
Queen  of  England  ? " 

"  Oh,  Sire,  there  is  no  hurry,"  replied  the  admiral ; 
"  and  your  Majesty,  who  knows  so  well  the  age  of  our 
princesses,  must  remember  that  Queen  Mary  Stuart  is 
hardly  thirteen  years  old ;  besides,  she  is,  —  I  do  not 
think  I  am  revealing  a  state  secret  in  confiding  this  fact 
to  your  Majesty,  —  she  is  intended  for  the  Dauphin 
Frangois  II.,  and  the  marriage  cannot  and  will  not  take 
place  for  a  year  or  two." 

""\Vait,  wait,  my  dear  Admiral,  let  me  think,"  said 
Charles  V. ;  "  it  seems  to  me  that  I  had  in  mind  a  piece 
of  good  advice  to  send  my  brother  Henri  II.,  —  some  sort 
of  speculation,  I  think,  of  cabalistic  science  —  Ah,  I 
have  it.  But  first,  can  you  tell  me,  my  dear  Admiral, 
what  has  become  of  a  young  nobleman  called  Gabriel  de 
Lorges,  Comte  de  Montgomery  ] " 

"  Yes,  certainly  ;  he  is  at  court,  in  great  favor  with  the 
king,  and  occupies  the  position  of  Captain  of  the  Scotch 
Guards." 

"  In  great  favor,  is  he  1 "  said  Charles  V.,  thoughtfully. 

"  Have  you  anything  to  say  against  this  young  noble- 
man, Sire  1 "  asked  the  admiral,  respectfully. 

"  No,  —  but  listen  to  a  story." 

"  I  am  listening,  Sire." 

"  When  I  was  crossing  France,  by  permission  of  my 
brother  Frangois  I.,  on  my  way  to  suppress  the  revolt  of 
my  dear  countrymen  and  subjects  of  Ghent,  the.  King  of 
France  —  as  perhaps  you  know,  although  you  were  a 
mere  boy  at  that  time  —  paid  me  every  honor;  for  exam- 
ple, he  sent  to  meet  me,  at  Fontainebleau,  the  dauphin 
accompanied  by  a  multitude  of  young  nobles  and  pages. 
I  must  say,  my  dear  Admiral,  that  dire  necessity  forced 
me  to  pass  through  the  kingdom  of  France,  and  I  should 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  197 

have  preferred  to  take  some  other  way.  I  had  every 
reason  for  distrusting  the  loyalty  of  King  Francois  L,  uud 
I  admit  that  I  had  some  fear  (groundless,  as  events 
proved)  that  my  brother  of  France  might  profit  by  this 
opportunity  to  take  his  revenge  for  the  treaty  of  Madrid. 
I  had  with  me,  as  if  human  science  could  avail  against 
divine  resolution,  a  very  clever  man,  a  renowned  astrolo- 
gist,  who  could  judge,  by  a  glance  at  a  man's  face,  whether 
he  meditated  any  attempt  on  the  life  or  liberty  of  those 
who  trusted  him." 

The  admiral  smiled.  "  It  was  a  wise  precaution,"  he 
said,  "  worthy  so  wise  an  emperor  as  you ;  but  your 
Majesty  has  seen  that  sometimes  wise  precaution  is  use- 
less precaution." 

"  Wait ;  you  will  see.  We  were  on  the  road  from 
Orleans  to  Fontainebleau,  when  suddenly  we  saw  coming 
toward  us  a  grand  cortege.  It  was,  as  I  have  said,  Mon- 
sieur le  Dauphin  of  France,  accompanied  by  a  multitude 
of  nobles  and  pages.  At  first,  seeing  in  the  distance  only 
the  cloud  of  dust  raised  by  the  horses'  feet,  we  thought 
that  it  was  a  troop  of  soldiers  coming  to  arrest  us ;  but 
we  soon  saw,  through  the  gray  cloud  of  dust,  the  sheen 
of  satin  and  velvet  and  the  glitter  of  gold.  This  was 
evidently  an  escort  of  honor,  and  not  a  hostile  troop. 
Therefore  we  continued  on  our  way,  full  of  confidence  in 
the  pledged  woi'd  of  King  Franc/iis  I.  Soon  the  two 
cavalcades  met ;  and  Monsieur  le  Dauphin,  advancing  to- 
ward me,  saluted  me  in  the  name  of  his  father.  The 
compliment  was  so  gracious,  and  went  so  far  —  not  to 
tranquillize  my  fears ;  God,  to  whom  I  am  about  to  con- 
secrate my  life,  is  my  witness  that  I  never  had  a  second 
suspicion  of  my  good  brother !  —  the  compliment,  I  say, 
was  so  gracious  that  I  wished  to  embrace  on  the  spot  the 
young  prince  who  had  made  it.  Now,  while  I  was  giving 


198  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

him  an  embrace  so  affectionate  that  it  lasted,  I  think,  a 
good  minute,  the  two  companies  had  mingled  together,  and 
the  young  noblemen  and  the  pages  belonging  to  the  suite 
of  Monsieur  le  Dauphin,  curious,  doubtless,  to  see  me  on 
account  of  the  noise  I  had  made  in  the  world,  had  com- 
pletely surrounded  me,  coming  as  close  to  me  as  possible. 
Then  I  perceived  that  my  astrologer,  Angelo  Policastro, 
an  Italian  from  Milan,  had  pushed  forward  his  horse  in 
such  a  manner  that  he  completely  flanked  my  left.  It 
seemed  to  me  audacious  in  this  man  to  mingle  thus  with 
the  high  nobility.  '  Oh,  Signer  Angelo,'  I  said,  '  what 
are  you  doing  here  ? '  '  Sire,'  he  replied,  '  I  am  in  my 
place.'  '  No  matter !  fall  back  a  little,  Signer  Angelo.' 
'  I  cannot  and  ought  not,  my  august  master,'  he 
answered. 

"  Then  I  suspected  that  there  was  something  wrong 
with  regard  to  my  journey,  and  fearing  that  he  might 
obey  my  first  command,  '  Stay  where  you  are,  then, 
Signer  Aiigelo,'  I  said,  'since  you  have  taken  this  posi- 
tion with  some  good  intention.  Only,  on  our  arrival  at 
the  chateau,  you  will  tell  me  your  reason,  will  you  not? ' 
'  Oh,  Sire,  I  will  not  fail  to  do  so,  since  it  is  my  duty;  but 
turn  your  head  to  the  left,  a:id  observe  that  young  man 
with  the  blond  complexion  and  long  hair  who  is  riding 
near  me.' 

"  I  looked  askance  at  the  young  man  ;  it  was  impossi- 
ble not  to  distinguish  him,  because  of  his  foreign  air,  un- 
mistakably English,  and  he  was  the  only  one  who  wore 
his  hair  long.  '  Well,  I  see  him,'  I  answered.  '  That  is 
enough,  —  for  the  present,  at  least,'  said  the  astrologer  ; 
'  later,  I  will  speak  of  him  to  your  Majesty.' 

"  As  soon  as  we  entered  the  chateau  I  withdrew  to  my 
apartment  under  pretext  of  making  my  toilet;  Signor 
Angelo  followed  me.  '  Well,'  I  demanded,  '  what  have 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS   HIS   PROMISE.  199 

you  to  say  about  this  young  man  1 '  '  Did  you  notice, 
Sire,  the  line  which,  although  young,  he  has  between  the 
eyebrows  1 '  '  Xo,  by  my  faith  ! '  I  said,  '  I  did  not  ob- 
serve him  so  carefully  as  that.'  '  Well,  we  astrologers 
call  that  line  the  "line  of  death."  Sire,  this  young  man 
will  kill  a  king  ! '  'A  king  or  an  emperor  1'  I  asked.  '  I 
cannot  tell  you,  but  it  will  be  a  head  that  wears  a 
crown.'  'Ah,  and  you  have  no  means  of  ascertaining 
whether  or  not  that  head  is  mine1?'  'Yes,  Sire;  but  in 
order  to  do  that,  I  require  a  lock  of  his  hair.'  'Very 
good  !  —  a  lock  of  his  hair;  but  how  are  you  to  procure 
it?'  'I  don't  know,  but  I  must  have  it.' 

"  I  was  trying  to  solve  this  problem  when  the  gardener's 
daughter  came  in,  bearing  a  basket  of  beautiful  flowers, 
which  she  set  about  arranging  in  vases  standing  on  the 
mantle,  and  on  little  tables  about  the  room.  When  she 
had  finished  I  took  her  hand  and  drew  her  toward  me ; 
then  taking  from  my  pocket  two  bright  gold  pieces,  I 
gave  them  to  her.  She  thanked  me,  and  I,  kissing  her 
brow,  said,  '  My  pretty  girl,  do  you  wish  to  earn  ten 
more  1 '  She  lowered  her  eyes  and  blushed.  '  Oh,  no,' 
I  said,  '  not  that,  —  I  don't  mean  that.'  '  What  do  you 
mean  then,  Sire  Emperor  1 '  she  asked.  '  Look  ! '  I  said, 
taking  her  to  the  window  and  showing  her  the  young 
man  with  the  fair  hair  tilting  in  the  courtyard;  'you 
see  that  young  nobleman  1'  'Yes,  I  see  him.'  'What 
do  you  think  of  him1?'  'I  think  he  is  very  hand- 
some and  very  richly  dressed.'  'Well,  bring  me  a 
lock  of  his  hair  to-morrow  morning,  and  instead  of  two 
gold  pieces,  you  shall  have  twenty  ! '  '  But  how  can  I  get 
a  lock  of  this  young  man's  hair "? '  she  asked,  looking  at 
me  innocently.  'Oh,  that  is  no  business  of  mine,  my 
pretty  girl ;  you  must  find  a  way.  All  that  I  can  do 
is  to  give  you  a  Bible.'  '  A  Bible  ? '  '  Yes,  so  that 


200  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

you  may  see  what  way  Delilah  invented  to  cut  Samson's 
locks.' 

"The  girl  blushed  again,  but  seemed  satisfied  with 
the  instructions,  for  she  went  out  pensive  and  smiling 
at  the  same  time  ;  and  on  the  next  day  she  came  hack 
with  a  curl  of  hair  as  yellow  as  gold.  Ah,  the  most 
innocent  girl  is  more  than  our  match  in  intrigue  and 
tact,  Admiral." 

"  And  does  your  Majesty  not  finish  the  story  1 " 

"Oh,  yes.  I  gave  the  curl  of  blond  hair  to  Signer 
Angelo,  who  made  upon  it  his  cabalistic  experiments,  and 
who  told  me  that  the  horoscope  did  not  threaten  me,  but 
a  king  who  bore  the  fleur-de-lis  on  his  coat-of-arms. 
Well,  my  dear  Admiral,  this  young  man  with  the  line  of 
death  between  the  eyebrows  is  the  Seigneur  de  Lorges, 
Comte  de  Montgomery,  captain  of  my  brother  Henri's 
Scotch  Guard." 

"  What !     Your  Majesty  suspects  —  " 

"  I,"  said  Charles  V.,  rising,  to  indicate  that  his  audi- 
ence was  finished,  —  "I  suspect  nothing,  Heaven  forbid  !  I 
only  repeat  to  you,  word  for  word,  as  possibly  useful  to 
my  brother  Henri  II.,  the  horoscope  of  Signor  Angelo 
Policastro  ;  and  I  warn  his  most  Christian  Majesty  to 
notice  particularly  this  line  between  the  two  eyebrows  of 
his  captain  of  the  Scotch  Guards,  which  Signor  Augelo 
Policastro  called  the  line  of  death,  remembering  that  it 
especially  threatened  a  prince  whose  coat-of-arms  bore  the 
fleur-de-lis." 

"Sire,"  said  Coligny,  "your  message  shall  be  delivered 
to  the  King  of  France." 

"  And  let  this  serve  as  a  reminder,  my  dear  Admiral," 
said  Charles  V.,  putting  about  the  ambassador's  neck  the 
magnificent  chain  he  had  worn  upon  his  own,  from  which 
hung  that  star  of  diamonds  called  the  Star  of  the  West, 


CHARLES  V.   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  201 

in  allusion  to  the  western  possessions  of  the  kings  of 
Spain. 

Coligny  would  have  received  the  present  kneeling ;  but 
Charles  V.  did  not  allow  him  to  show  this  mark  of  re- 
spect, and  holding  him  in  his  arms,  he  kissed  him  upon 
both  cheeks. 

At  the  door  the  admiral  met  Emmanuel  Philibert,  who 
even  before  the  ceremony  was  over  had  come  to  lay  his 
homage  at  the  feet  of  this  emperor,  so  much  greater  in 
his  eyes  for  having  abdicated  all  greatness. 

The  two  captains  saluted  each  other  with  courtesy. 
Each  had  seen  the  other  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  each 
estimated  the  other  at  his  real  value,  —  that  is  to  say, 
in  a  high  degree. 

"  Has  your  Majesty  any  further  message  for  the  king, 
my  master?" 

"  No,  none,"  —  he  looked  at  Emmanuel  Philibert  and 
smiled,  —  "except,  my  dear  Admiral,  that  if  the  care  for 
our  salvation  left  us  a  moment's  leisure,  we  should  turn 
our  attention  to  finding  a  husband  for  Madame  Mar- 
guerite of  France."  And  leaning  upon  Emmanuel's  arm, 
"  Come,  my  dear  Emmanuel,"  he  said,  moving  toward 
the  salon ;  "  it  seems  an  age  since  I  have  seen  you  1 " 


202  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AFTER   THE   ABDICATION. 

FOR  those  of  our  readers  who  like  to  see  the  completion 
of  everything  and  the  philosophy  of  each  event,  we  con- 
clude to  write  the  present  chapter,  which  perhaps  im- 
pedes somewhat  the  progress  of  our  action,  but  which 
permits  the  attention,  fastened  for  a  time  on  the  Eni- 
peror  Charles  V.,  to  follow  this  grand  career  —  obscured 
now  in  the  new  mode  of  life  he  had  adopted  —  from  the 
day  of  his  abdication  to  that  of  his  death ;  that  is  to  say, 
from  Oct.  25,  1555,  to  Sept.  21,  1558. 

When  the  conqueror  of  Frai^ois  I.  shall  be  laid  in  the 
tomb,  to  which  his  rival  preceded  him  niue  years  ago, 
we  will  return  to  life,  combats,  fetes,  hatreds,  and  loves, 
—  in  short,  to  all  that  vast  commotion  which  reaches 
even  the  dead  who  await  in  their  graves  the  eternal 
resurrection. 

The  various  political  matters  which  Charles  V.  had 
to  attend  to  in  the  Netherlands,  the  abdication  of  the 
Empire  in  favor  of  Ferdinand,  his  brother,  —  an  abdica- 
tion which  would  follow  that  of  the  hereditary  States  in 
favor  of  Don  Philip,  his  son,  —  detained  for  another  year 
the  ex-emperor  at  Brussels ;  so  that  it  was  not  until  Sep- 
tember, 1556,  that  he  could  leave  that  city.  He  then 
set  out  for  Ghent,  escorted  by  all  the  ambassadors,  nobles, 
magistrates,  captains,  and  officers  of  Belgium. 

King  Don  Philip  zealously  conducted  his  father  to 
the  place  of  embarkation,  that  is  to  say,  to  Flushing, 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  203 

whither  the  ex-emperor  was  carried  on  a  litter,  accom- 
panied by  the  two  queens  his  sisters,  with  their  women, 
King  Don  Philip  with  his  court,  and  Emmanuel  Phili- 
bert  with  his  two  inseparable  companions,  Leone  and 
Sciauca-Ferro. 

The  leave-taking  was  long  and  sad  :  this  man  who  had 
held  the  world  in  his  grasp  was  about  to  part,  not  only 
from  his  two  sisters,  his  sou,  a  grateful  and  devoted 
nephew,  but  also  from  the  world,  almost  from  life,  —  his 
intention  being  to  retire  into  a  monastery  immediately 
upon  arriving  in  Spain.  He  had  chosen  to  bid  his 
friends  farewell  on  the  day  before  his  departure,  saying 
that  if  the  parting  were  delayed  until  the  hour  of  em- 
barking, he  should  never  have  the  courage  to  set  foot 
upon  the  vessel. 

The  first  one  of  whom  Charles  V.  took  leave  —  per- 
haps because  in  the  depths  of  his  heart  he  loved  him  the 
least  —  was  his  son,  Don  Philip.  After  receiving  his 
father's  kiss,  the  King  of  Spain  knelt  before  him  and 
asked  his  blessing.  Charles  V.  gave  it  with  that  dignity 
of  manner  which  he  so  well  knew  how  to  assume  on  such 
occasions,  and  advised  him  to  cultivate  peace  with  the 
allied  powers,  particularly,  if  possible,  with  France. 

Don  Philip  promised  his  father  to  conform  to  his  wishes, 
although  expressing  some  doubt  whether  it  would  be  pos- 
sible in  the  case  of  France ;  but  he  declared  solemnly  that 
he  would  faithfully  maintain  the  truce  so  long  as  it  was 
not  broken  by  King  Henri  II.,  his  cousin. 

Then  Charles  V.  embraced  Emmanuel  Philibert,  hold- 
ing him  for  a  long  time  clasped  in  his  arms,  unable  to 
make  up  his  mind  to  let  him  go.  At  last,  addressing 
Don  Philip,  sorrowfully  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  he 
said,  — 

"  My  dear    son,   I  have  given  you  many  things.     I 


204  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

have  given  you  Naples,  Flanders,  the  two  Indies  ;  I  have 
despoiled  myself  of  everything  in  fact,  to  give  you  all 
that  I  possessed  ;  but  remember  this  :  neither  Naples 
with  its  palace,  nor  Flanders  with  its  commerce,  nor  the 
two  Indies  with  their  mines  of  gold,  silver,  and  precious 
stones,  are  equal  in  value  to  the  treasure  I  leave  you  in 
your  cousin  Emmanuel  Philibert,  —  a  man  of  force  and 
intellect,  a  wise  politician,  and  a  mighty  soldier.  I  ad- 
vise you,  therefore,  to  treat  him  not  as  a  subject  but  as 
a  brother;  and  even  then  I  assure  you  he  will  hardly 
receive  his  deserts." 

Emmanuel  Philibert  would  have  embraced  his  uncle's 
knees,  but  the  latter  still  held  him  in  his  embrace  ;  then, 
gently  putting  him  from  his  own  arms  into  those  of  Don 
Philip,  "Go,"  he  said,  "go;  it  is  shameful  for  men  to 
sigh  and  weep  on  account  of  a  short  separation  in  this 
world  !  Let  us  so  live  in  the  merit  of  good  deeds,  noble 
virtues,  and  a  Christian  life,  that  we  may  hereafter  be 
reunited  in  the  other  world  ;  that  is  the  most  important 
thing."  And  turning  to  rejoin  his  sisters,  at  the  same 
time  motioning  to  the  young  men  to  go  away,  he  re- 
frained from  looking  toward  them  again  while  they 
remained  in  the  apartment.  Don  Philip  and  Emmanuel 
Philibert  mounted  their  horses,  and  set  out  immediately 
for  Brussels. 

As  for  the  ex-emperor,  he  embarked  the  next  day, 
Sept.  10,  1556,  upon  a  vessel  "truly  royal  in  the 
splendor  of  its  equipment,"  says  Gregorio  Leti,  biogra- 
pher of  Charles  V. ;  but  scarcely  had  they  reached  the 
open  sea,  when  they  were  met  by  an  English  vessel  on 
which  was  Count  Arundel,  who  had  been  sent  by  Queen 
Mary  to  her  father-in-law  to  entreat  him  not  to  pass  so 
near  the  coast  of  Great  Britain  without  paying  her  a 
visit. 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  205 

In  answer  to  this  invitation,  Charles  V.  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  and  iu  a  tone  not  quite  free  from  bitter- 
ness, he  said  to  the  count,  "  What  pleasure  can  so  great 
a  queen  derive  from  a  father-in-law  who  is  only  a  simple 
gentleman  ?  " 

In  spite  of  this  answer,  Count  Arundel  insisted  with 
such  courteous  supplications  and  so  respectful  entreaties 
that  Charles  V.,  unable  to  resist  his  persistence,  said, 
"  Monsieur  le  Comte,  everything  will  depend  upon  the 
winds." 

The  two  queens  had  embarked  with  their  brother. 
Sixty  vessels  escorted  the  emperor ;  and  the  Count  Aruu- 
del,  seeing  that  although  the  winds  were  far  from  unfavor- 
able, Charles  V.  had  no  intention  of  stopping  either  at 
Yarmouth,  London,  or  Portsmouth,  insisted  no  longer  :  he 
respectfully  joined  the  escort  of  the  imperial  vessel,  and 
accompanied  it  as  far  as  Loredo,  the  port  of  Biscay,  where 
Charles  V.  was  received  by  the  grand  constable  of  Castile. 

But  just  as  soon  as  the  ex-emperor  had  stepped  upon  this 
land  of  Spain,  over  which  he  had  reigned  so  gloriously, 
and  even  before  listening  to  the  speech  which  the  grand 
constable  had  prepared  to  deliver,  he  threw  himself  on  his 
knees,  and  kissing  the  soil  of  this  kingdom  which  was  to 
be  henceforth  his  home,  he  said,  — 

"  I  salute  thee  with  the  greatest  reverence,  0  common 
mother ;  and  as  I  sprang  naked  from  my  mother's  womb 
to  receive  from  the  world  so  many  gifts,  so  I  wish  now  to 
enter  naked  thy  bosom,  my  dear  mother ;  and  if  the  first 
was  a  necessity  of  nature,  this  to-day  is  an  effect  of  grace 
upon  my  will." 

He  had  not  finished  this  prayer  when  the  wind  began 
to  blow,  and  a  tempest  ai'ose  of  such  violence  that  the 
whole  fleet  which  had  accompanied  him  perished  in  the 
harbor,  including  the  imperial  vessel  itself,  loaded  with 


206  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

treasure  and  magnificent  gifts  which  the  emperor  had 
brought  from  Belgium  to  Germany  as  offerings  to  the 
churches  of  Spain.  In  reference  to  this  catastrophe  it 
was  said  by  one  of  the  personages  in  the  suite  of  Charles 
V.  that  the  vessel,  foreseeing  that  there  never  again  would 
be  such  an  illustration  of  glory,  had  plunged  into  the  sea 
as  a  mark  at  once  of  respect,  regret,  and  sorrow. 

It  was  well,  indeed,  that  inanimate  things  should 
show  such  marks  of  respect,  regret,  and  sorrow  to  Charles 
V  ;  for  men  paid  no  respect  to  the  emperor  dethroned. 
At  Burgos,  for  example,  the  ex-emperor  crossed  the  town 
without  being  met  by  a  deputation,  nor  did  the  citizens 
even  take  the  trouble  to  run  to  their  doors  to  see  him 
pass.  Observing  this,  the  emperor  said,  shaking  his 
head,  "  Truly,  I  should  think  that  the  inhabitants  of 
Burgos  had  heard  me  when  I  said  at  Loredo  that  I  was 
returning  to  Spain  naked." 

That  very  day  a  nobleman,  Don  Bartolomeo  Miranda, 
had  come  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  had  said  to  him,  "  It  is 
exactly  a  year  ago  to-day,  Sire,  that  your  imperial  Maj- 
esty began  your  retirement  from  the  world  in  order  to 
devote  yourself  entirely  to  the  service  of  God." 

"  Yes,"  Charles  had  answered,  "  and  it  is  exactly  a 
year  ago  to-day  since  I  repented  of  it."  He  had  spoken 
thus  in  remembrance  of  that  sad  and  solitary  evening 
of  his  abdication,  when  he  had  no  one  but  Admiral 
Coligny  to  help  him  replace  on  the  fire  the  brands  which 
had  rolled  upon  the  carpet. 

From  Burgos,  the  emperor  went  to  Valladolid,  which 
was  then  the  capital  of  Spain.  When  within  a  half- 
hour's  distance  from  the  city,  he  saw  a  cortege  advan- 
cing toward  him  ;  it  consisted  of  grandees  and  noblemen, 
led  by  his  grandson  Don  Carlos,  then  about  eleven  years 
old. 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  207 

The  boy,  managing  his  horse  admirably,  rode  up  on  the 
left  side  of  the  emperor's  litter.  It  was  the  first  time  he 
had  seen  his  grandfather,  and  the  latter  observed  him 
with  an  attention  which  would  have  embarrassed  any 
other  than  the  young  prince.  Don  Carlos  did  not  even 
lower  his  eyes,  merely  lifting  his  hat  respectfully  when 
the  old  emperor's  glance  was  fixed  upon  him,  and  re- 
placing it  upon  his  head  when  Charles  V.  stopped  looking 
at  him. 

As  soon  as  he  had  retired  to  his  apartment,  the  em- 
peror sent  for  the  lad,  that  he  might  observe  him  more 
closely  and  talk  with  him.  The  boy  presented  himself 
respectfully,  but  without  any  embarrassment. 

"  It  was  kind  of  you,  my  grandson,"  said  Charles  V., 
"to  come  to  meet  me." 

u  It  was  my  duty,"  replied  the  boy,  "  since  I  am 
doubly  your  subject ;  for  you  are  my  grandfather  and  my 
emperor." 

"Ah,"  said  Charles  V.,  surprised  to  find  so  much  self- 
possession  and  firmness  in  a  boy  so  young. 

"  Besides,  it  was  not  duty  toward  your  imperial  Majesty 
so  much  as  curiosity  that  led  me  to  go  to  meet  you." 

"  How  is  that  1 " 

"Oh,  I  have  heard  it  often  said  that  you  were 
an  illustrious  emperor,  and  that  you  had  done  great 
things." 

"  Ah,  really,"  said  Charles  V.,  who  was  amused  at  the 
boy's  naivete* ;  "  would  you  like  to  have  me  tell  you 
about  some  of  these  great  things?" 

"  It  would  be  a  great  honor,  and  would  give  me 
much  pleasure,"  replied  the  young  prince. 

"Well,  take  that  seat." 

"  With  your  Majesty's  permission,"  said  the  boy,  "  I 
will  listen  standing." 


208  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Then  Charles  V.  told  him  the  story  of  all  his  wars  against 
Francois  I.,  against  the  Turks,  and  the  Protestants. 

Don  Carlos  listened  attentively,  and  when  his  grand- 
father had  finished  he  said,  showing  that  the  story  was 
not  new  to  him,  "  Yes,  that  is  it." 

"  But,"  said  the  emperor,  "  you  do  not  tell  me,  Mon- 
sieur my  grandson,  what  you  think  of  my  adventures, 
and  whether  I  seem  to  you  to  have  conducted  myself 
bravely." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  young  prince,  "  I  am  very  well  satis- 
fied with  your  conduct ;  there  is  only  one  thing  which  I 
could  not  excuse  —  " 

"  Bah  !  "  said  the  emperor,  in  astonishment ;  "  what  is 
that  ?  " 

"  You  fled,  half  naked,  one  night,  at  Innspruck,  from 
Duke  Maurice." 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,"  said  the  emperor,  smiling,  "  I  could 
not  help  that,  I  assure  you.  He  surprised  me,  and  I  had 
only  my  private  retainers." 

"  But  I  should  not  have  fled,"  said  Don  Carlos. 

"  What !  you  would  not  have  fled  ? " 

"  No." 

"But  I  was  obliged  to  fly,  since  I  could  not  resist 
him." 

"  I  should  not  have  fled,"  repeated  the  young  prince. 

"  I  should  have  been  obliged  to  give  myself  up.  That 
would  have  been  a  great  imprudence,  for  which  I  should 
have  been  still  more  to  blame." 

"  No  matter ;  I  should  not  have  fled,"  repeated  the 
boy. 

"  Tell  me  what  you  would  have  done  under  such  cir- 
cumstances ;  and  to  be  more  specific,  what  would  you 
actually  do,  for  example,  if  I  should  set  thirty  pages  at 
your  heels  ] " 


AFTER   THE  ABDICATION.  209 

•'  I  should  not  fly,"  was  the  boy's  answer. 

The  emperor  frowned,  and  summoning  the  tutor  of  the 
young  prince,  "  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  take  away  my 
grandson.  I  congratulate  you  on  his  education  ;  if  he 
goes  on,  he  will  be  the  greatest  soldier  in  our  family." 

The  same  evening  he  said  to  his  sister,  Queen  Eleano'r, 
whom  he  was  to  leave  at  Valladolid  :  "  It  seems  to  me, 
Sister,  that  King  Don  Philip  is  unfortunate  in  his  son  Don 
Carlos  ;  his  manners  and  his  disposition  in  this  period  of 
early  youth  do  not  please  me  ;  they  are  not  suitable  to 
one  of  his  years.  I  don't  know  what  the  result  will  be 
when  he  shall  be  twenty-five  years  of  age.  Consider 
attentively  his  words  and  actions,  and  tell  me  truth- 
fully, when  you  write  to  me,  your  opinion  upon  this 
subject." 

The  day  after  the  morrow,  Charles  V.  set  out  for  Pa- 
lencia,  and  on  the  day  following  that  Queen  Eleanoi 
wrote  to  him  :  "  My  brother,  if  the  manners  of  our  little 
nephew  Carlos  displeased  you,  who  saw  him  only  one 
day,  I  dislike  them  still  more,  who  have  been  here  three 
days." 

This  little  fellow  who  was  so  persistent  in  saying  that 
he  would  not  have  fled  at  Innspruck  was  the  same  Don 
Carlos  who  was  killed  by  the  order  of  his  father,  Philip 
II.,  twelve  years  later,  on  the  pretext  that  he  had  con- 
spired with  the  re  volt  era  of  the  Netherlands. 

At  Valladolid  the  emperor  had  dismissed  his  court, 
retaining  twelve  domestics  and  twelve  horses,  and  reserv- 
ing for  himself  only  a  few  rare  and  precious  articles  of 
furniture  ;  all  the  rest  he  distributed  among  the  gentle- 
men who  had  accompanied  him.  Then  he  bade  farewell 
to  the  two  queens,  and  set  out  for  Palencia. 

Palencia  was  situated  only  eighteen  miles  from  the 
monastery  of  St.  Just,  belonging  to  the  order  of  Saint 
TOL.  i.  — 14 


210  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Jerome,  which  Charles  V.  had  chosen  as  his  retreat,  and 
whither  lie  had  sent  an  architect  a  year  previously  to 
build  an  apartment  of  six  rooms,  four  of  which  were  to 
be  like  the  cells  of  a  monk,  and  the  other  two  somewhat 
larger.  The  artist  was,  besides,  to  lay  out  a  little  garden, 
the  plan  of  which  the  emperor  himself  had  designed. 

This  garden  was  the  most  charming  part  of  the  im- 
perial retreat ;  it  was  bounded  on  two  sides  by  a  little 
stream  of  clear  running  water,  and  was  planted  with 
orange-trees,  lemon-trees,  and  cedars,  which  filled  the  air 
with  perfume  and  shaded  the  windows  of  the  illustrious 
recluse. 

lu  1542  Charles  V.  had  visited  this  monastery  of 
St.  Just,  and  on  leaving  it  had  said,  "  This  is  indeed  a 
place  of  refuge  for  a  second  Diocletian." 

The  emperor  took  possession  of  his  apartment  at  the 
monastery  of  St.  Just  on  Feb.  24,  1557.  It  was  the 
anniversary  of  his  birth,  and  that  had  always  been 
for  him  a  lucky  day.  "  I  wish,"  he  said,  as  he  stepped 
over  the  threshold  of  the  convent,  "to  be  born  again  into 
heaven  on  the  same  day  of  the  year  on  which  I  was  born 
upon  the  earth." 

Of  the  twelve  horses  which  he  had  reserved,  he  sent  away 
all  but  one,  which  he  sometimes  used  for  riding  in  the  de- 
lightful valley  of  Serandilla,  distant  only  about  a  mile,  and 
which  is  sometimes  called  the  Paradise  of  Estremadura. 
From  this  time  he  held  but  little  communication  with 
the  world,  receiving  only  rare  visits  from  his  former  cour- 
tiers, and  once  or  twice  a  year  letters  from  King  Philip, 
Emperor  Ferdinand,  and  the  two  queens  his  sisters  ;  his 
only  diversions  were  the  rides  already  mentioned,  the  din- 
ners which  he  sometimes  gave  to  gentlemen  who  came 
to  visit  him  and  whom  he  detained  until  evening,  saying, 
"  My  friends,  stay  with  me  and  live  a  religious  life,"  and 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  211 

the  pleasure  of  caring  for  the  little  birds  of  every  species 
which  he  kept  confined  in  aviaries. 

This  mode  of  life  was  continued  one  year ;  but  at  the 
end  of  that  time  it  seemed  to  the  august  recluse  to  be  still 
too  worldly,  and  on  the  anniversary  of  his  birth  —  which 
was  also,  we  remember,  that  of  his  retirement  into  the 
convent,  —  the  Archbishop  of  Toledo  having  come  to  pay 
him  a  visit  of  congratulation,  he  said  to  him :  "Monsieur, 
I  have  lived  fifty-seven  years  for  the  world,  one  year  for 
my  most  intimate  friends  and  subjects,  in  this  secluded 
place,  and  now  I  wish  to  devote  to  the  Lord  the  few 
months  of  life  that  remain  to  me." 

He  thanked  the  prelate  for  his  visit,  but  begged  him 
not  to  take  the  trouble  to  come  to  see  him,  unless  the 
salvation  of  his  soul  required  that  he  be  sent  for.  In 
short,  after  Feb.  24,  1558,  the  emperor  lived  in  an  aus- 
terity which  almost  equalled  that  of  the  monks,  —  eating 
at  their  table,  undergoing  the  same  discipline,  attending 
regularly  the  services  of  the  choir,  and  allowing  himself 
no  other  diversion  than  that  of  saying  masses  for  the 
great  number  of  soldiers,  sailors,  officers,  and  captains 
who  had  died  in  his  service,  in  the  various  wars  which 
he  had  declared  or  had  instigated  in  the  four  quarters  of 
the  globe. 

For  the  generals,  councillors,  ministers,  and  ambassa- 
dors, of  the  anniversaries  of  whose  death  he  kept  an 
exact  record,  he  had  special  altars  erected  and  Masses 
celebrated ;  so  that  it  might  be  said  of  him  that  after 
seeking  glory  in  reigning  over  the  living,  he  now  made  it 
his  religion  to  reign  over  the  dead. 

At  last,  toward  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  July  in 
that  same  year  1558,  weary  of  witnessing  the  funeral 
ceremonies  of  others  and  surfeited  with  that  sombre 
diversion,  Charles  V.  resolved  to  celebrate  his  own 


212  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

obsequies.  Yet,  it  took  some  time  to  accustom  himself 
to  this  somewhat  singular  idea.  He  feared  to  be  accused 
of  pride  or  eccentricity  in  yielding  to  this  desire ;  but  the 
fancy  took  such  irresistible  hold  of  him  that  he  disclosed 
it  to  one  of  the  monks  of  the  monastery  called  Father 
Jean  Regola. 

It  was  with  fear  and  trembling  lest  the  monk  should 
see  some  obstacle  to  the  execution  of  this  plan,  that 
Charles  V.  ventured  to  confide  in  him ;  but  the  monk,  on 
the  contrary,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  emperor,  replied 
that  although  it  would  be  an  extraordinary  and  unex- 
ampled step,  he  saw  no  harm  in  it,  and  even  considered 
it  pious  and  exemplary. 

But  this  assent  of  a  simple  monk  did  not  appear  in  so 
serious  a  case  sufficient  to  the  emperor ;  Father  Regola 
offered  therefore  to  obtain  the  opinion  of  the  Archbishop 
of  Toledo. 

Charles  V.  approved  this  suggestion,  and  appointing 
the  monk  ambassador  to  the  prelate,  he  sent  him  off, 
mounted  on  a  mule  and  with  an  escort,  to  procure  the 
much  desired  permission. 

Never  in  the  days  of  the  temporal  power  of  Charles  V. 
had  he  awaited  the  return  of  a  messenger  with  such 
impatience. 

At  last,  in  about  fifteen  days,  the  monk  returned. 
The  answer  was  favorable;  the  Archbishop  of  Toledo 
regarded  the  emperor's  desire  as  most  holy  and  most 
Christian. 

Immediately  upon  the  return  of  the  monk  the  whole 
attention  of  the  convent  was  devoted  to  the  preparations 
for  the  obsequies,  that  they  might  be  worthy  the  great 
emperor  for  whom  they  were  to  be  celebrated. 

The  construction  of  a  splendid  mausoleum  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  church  was  the  first  thing  undertaken.  Father 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  213 

Vargas,  who  was  an  engineer  and  sculptor,  made  a  design 
which  met  the  emperor's  approval,  with  the  exception  of 
some  details  which  he  changed. 

The  design  approved,  master  carpenters  and  painters 
were  sent  for  from  Palencia,  who  for  five  weeks  em- 
ployed twenty  men  in  the  construction  of  this  mauso- 
leum. At  the  end  of  five  weeks,  thanks  to  the  diligence 
which  the  emperor's  presence  and  encouragement  had 
imparted  to  every  one,  the  monument  was  completed. 
It  was  forty  feet  long,  fifty  feet  high,  and  thirty  feet 
wide.  Galleries  ran  all  around  it,  the  ascent  to  which 
was  made  by  several  staircases,  and  in  which  could  be 
seen  a  series  of  carvings  representing  the  most  illustrious 
emperors  of  the  house  of  Austria,  and  the  principal  battles 
of  Charles  V.  himself;  finally,  on  the  very  top  rested  the 
uncovered  coffin  between  Fame  on  its  left  and  on  its 
right  Immortality. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  morning  of  the  24th  of 
August  was  appointed  for  these  mock  obsequies. 

At  five  o'clock  —  that  is  to  say,  an  hour  and  a  half 
after  sunrise  —  four  hundred  large  black  candles  arranged 
upon  the  sarcophagus  were  lighted,  around  which  stood 
all  the  domestics  of  the  ex-emperor,  dressed  in  mourning, 
with  uncovered  heads,  and  each  bearing  in  his  hand  a 
torch.  At  seven  o'clock  Charles  V.  entered,  dressed  in 
a  long  mourning-robe  and  supported  on  each  side  by  a 
monk  also  dressed  in  black.  He  also  bearing  in  his 
hand  a  torch,  took  a  seat  placed  for  him  before  the  altar. 
There,  motionless,  his  torch  resting  on  the  ground,  he 
who  was  living  listened  to  all  those  hymns  for  the  dead, 
from  the  Requiem  to  the  Requiescat,  while  six  monks  of 
different  orders  were  saying  six  low  Masses  before  the 
six  side  altars  of  the  church. 

Then  at  a  given  moment,  rising  and  still  escorted  by 


THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  two  monks,  he  proceeded  toward  the  high  altar  and 
kneeling  said  :  "  I  supplicate  and  beseech  thee,  0  Su- 
preme Ruler,  and  Arbiter  of  our  life  and  our  death,  that 
as  the  priest  receives  from  my  hands  into  his  own  this 
wax  taper,  which  I  offer  in  all  humility,  even  so  thou 
wilt  accept  my  soul,  which  I  recommend  to  thy  divine 
indulgence,  and  that  thou  wilt  receive  it  when  it  shall 
please  thee  into  the  bosom  of  thy  goodness  and  thy 
infinite  mercy." 

Then  the  prior  put  the  candle  in  a  massive  silver 
candlestick  which  the  ex-emperor  had  given  to  the 
convent  for  this  great  occasion.  After  which  Charles  V. 
arose,  and  accompanied  still  by  the  two  monks,  who 
followed  him  like  his  shadow,  he  resumed  his  seat. 

When  the  Mass  was  ended,  the  emperor  proceeded  to 
the  final  ceremony,  which  he  considered  the  most  impor- 
tant of  all.  He  had  a  flag-stone  lifted  from  the  floor  of 
the  choir,  and  in  the  bottom  of  a  sort  of  grave,  dug  for 
this  occasion,  he  ordered  a  black  velvet  cloth  to  be  laid, 
together  with  a  black  velvet  pillow.  Then  assisted  by 
the  two  monks,  he  descended  into  this  grave,  extended 
himself,  with  his  hands  crossed  upon  his  breast  and  his 
eyes  closed,  counterfeiting  death  as  well  as  he  was  able. 

Immediately  the  priest  intoned  the  De  profundis 
clamavi,  and  while  the  choir  was  singing  it,  all  the 
monks  dressed  in  black,  all  the  gentlemen,  and  all  the 
domestics  in  mourning  dress,  taper  in  hand,  weeping, 
began  to  march  around  the  deceased,  led  by  the  offici- 
ating priest,  and  each  in  his  turn  throwing  upon  him  the 
holy  water,  and  wishing  repose  to  his  souL 

The  ceremony  lasted  more  than  two  hours,  so  many 
were  there  to  throw  the  holy  water.  The  emperor  was 
wet  even  through  his  black  robe  ;  and  this  combined 
with  the  wind  which  penetrated  through  the  chinks  in 


AFTER  THE  ABDICATION.  '  215 

the  stone-work,  —  a  cold  aud  damp  wind  ascending  from 
the  mortuary  cellars  of  the  abbey,  —  so  chilled  the  em- 
peror that  he  was  shivering  with  cold  when,  left  alone  in 
the  church  with  his  two  monks,  he  wished  to  return  to 
his  cell.  Finding  himself  benumbed  and  shaking  with 
cold,  he  said,  "  Fathers,  indeed,  I  do  not  know  that  it  is 
worth  while  to  get  up." 

When  he  reached  his  cell  he  was  obliged  to. go  to  bed  ; 
and  once  in  bed  he  remained  there  till  he  died.  In  less 
than  a  month  all  the  preparations  for  the  mock  funeral 
ceremonies  served  for  the  real  obsequies  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V. 

It  was  on  Sept.  21,  1558,  that  Charles  V.  breathed 
his  last  in  the  arms  of  the  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  who 
fortunately  happened  to  be  at  Palencia,  and  whom  the 
emperor  summoned  for  the  final  scene,  according  to  his 
promise,  six  months  before,  to  send  for  him  at  the  time 
of  his  death. 

The  emperor  had  lived  fifty-seven  years  seven  months 
and  twenty-one  days ;  he  had  reigned  forty-four  years, 
and  had  been  ruler  of  the  Empire  thirty-eight  years. 
And  as  he  had  been  born  on  the  day  of  one  apostle, 
Saint  Mathias,  February  24,  he  died  on  the  day  of 
another  apostle  Saint  Matthew,  — that  is  to  say,  on  the 
21st  of  September. 

Father  Strada  relates  in  his  "  Histoire  des  Flandres," 
that  on  the  very  night  of  the  death  of  Charles  V.  a  lily 
bloomed  in  the  garden  of  the  monastery  of  St.  Just. 
When  the  monks  were  informed  of  this,  they  had  the 
lily  exposed  to  view  upon  the  high  altar,  as  evident 
proof  of  the  purity  of  the  emperor's  soul. 

What  a  fine  thing  is  history !  Deeming  ourselves 
unworthy  to  perform  the  function  of  the  historian,  we 
have  joined  the  ranks  of  the  writers  of  romance. 


PART    H. 

/ 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE    COURT    OF    FRANCE. 

ABOUT  a  year  after  Charles  V.'s  abdication  at  Brussels, 
shortly  before  the  ex-emperor  retired  to  the  monastery 
of  St.  Just,  when  from  the  heights  of  St.  Germain 
could  be  seen  in  the  distance  the  yellowing  fields  of 
grain,  and  the  last  days  of  July  rolled  their  clouds  of 
flame  across  the  azm*e  sky,  a  brilliant  cavalcade  started 
out  from  the  old  chateau,  and  proceeded  through  the 
park,  where  the  tall  and  beautiful  trees  were  beginning 
to  assume  those  warm  tints  that  are  dear  to  the  painter. 

A  brilliant  cavalcade,  indeed  !  For  it  comprised  King 
Henri  II.,  his  sister  Marguerite,  the  beautiful  Duchesse  de 
Valentinois  his  mistress,  the  dauphin  Frangois,  his  eldest 
son,  his  daughter  Elisabeth  de  Valois,  the  young  queen 
of  Scotland,  Mary  Stuart,  and  the  principal  ladies  and 
noblemen  who  at  that  period  constituted  the  ornament 
and  glory  of  the  house  of  Valois,  which  had  come  to  the 
throne  in  the  person  of  Frangois  I.,  deceased,  as  we  have 
said,  May  31,  1547. 

Moreover,  on  the  airy  balcony  of  the  chateau,  which 
was  supported  by  a  network  of  iron  marvellously  wrought, 
were  Queen  Catherine  and  the  two  young  princes,  Charles, 
aged  seven,  and  Henri,  aged  six  years,  —  afterward  King 
Charles  IX.  and  King  Henri  III., — and  the  little  Mar- 


THE  COURT   OF  FRANCE.  217 

guerite,  who  was  to  be  queen  of  Xavarre,  and  who  at 
that  time  was  scarcely  five  years  old.  These  three  chil- 
dren were  obviously  too  young  to  accompany  their  father, 
King  Henri,  on  the  hunt  which  was  beginning. 

As  to  the  queen,  she  had  avoided  taking  part  in  the 
chase  by  alleging  a  slight  indisposition  ;  and  as  Queen 
Catherine  was  one  of  those  women  who  do  nothing  without 
a  purpose,  we  may  be  very  sure  that  if  she  was  not  really 
indisposed  she  had  at  least  a  reason  for  pretending  to  be  so. 

Since  all  the  personages  above  mentioned  are  destined 
to  play  an  active  part  in  the  story  we  have  undertaken 
to  relate,  the  reader  will  permit  us,  before  resuming  our 
continuous  narration,  to  place  before  him  a  portrait, 
moral  and  physical,  of  each  of  these  personages. 

We  will  begin  with  Henri  II.,  who  is  at  the  head  of 
the  cavalcade,  with  Madame  Marguerite,  his  sister,  oil 
his  right,  and  on  his  left  the  Duchesse  de  Valentinois. 
He  was  at  that  time  a  handsome  nobleman,  thirty-nine 
years  of  age,  with  black  eyebrows,  black  eyes,  a  dark 
beard  tinted  with  brown,  an  aquiline  nose,  and  fine  white 
teeth  ;  he  was  neither  so  tall  nor  so  muscular  as  his 
father  had  been,  but  was  above  the  middle  height  and 
well  formed.  So  fond  of  war  was  he  that  when  unable 
to  engage  in  actual  warfare  in  his  own  dominions  or  in 
those  of  his  neighbors,  he  instituted  sham  battles  among 
the  pleasures  of  his  court. 

Thus,  even  in  times  of  peace,  King  Henri  II.  was  the 
least  idle  man  in  his.  kingdom.  Of  literary  culture  and 
taste  he  had  only  enough  to  incline  him  to  give  honorable 
recompense  to  the  poets,  —  in  regard  to  whose  merits  he 
received  his  opinions  ready-made  from  his  sister  Madame 
Marguerite,  from  his  mistress  the  beautiful  Diana,  or 
from  his  charming  young  pupil  Mary  Stuart. 

His  days  were  occupied  as  follows :  his  mornings  and 


218  THE  DUKE'S   PAGE. 

his  evenings  were  devoted  to  business ;  in  the  morning 
two  hours  were  ordinarily  sufficient  for  what  was  in 
hand.  Then  he  devotedly  attended  Mass  ;  for  he  was 
a  strong  Catholic,  as  was  shown  in  his  declared  wish  that 
he  might  see  Anne  Dubourg,  the  Parliament  councillor, 
burn  at  the  stake,  —  a  pleasure  denied  him,  however, 
since  he  had  been  dead  six  months  when  the  poor 
Huguenot  was  led  to  martyrdom.  At  noon  he  dined  ; 
after  dinner,  in  company  with  the  noblemen  of  his  court, 
he  paid  a  visit  to  Queen  Catherine,  where  he  met,  ac- 
cording to  Brantome,  a  throng  of  human  goddesses,  each 
more  beautiful  than  the  rest.  While  he  occupied  him- 
self with  the  queen,  or  with  madame  his  sister,  or  with 
the  dauphiness  Mary  Stuart,  or  with  the  princesses  his 
daughters,  each  nobleman  and  gentleman  followed  the 
example  of  the  king,  and  conversed  with  the  lady  most 
agreeable  to  him.  This  lasted  about  two  hours ;  then 
the  king  went  to  his  exercises.  In  the  summer  these 
exercises  were  tennis,  football,  and  pall-mall. 

Henri  II.  was  extremely  fond  of  tennis,  and  was  very 
skilful  at  that  game.  When  he  won,  he  resigned  the 
stakes  to  his  partners ;  when  they  lost,  he  paid  for  them. 
The  stakes  were  usually  five  hundred  to  six  hundred 
crowns,  and  not,  as  under  his  successoi-s,  four  thousand, 
six  thousand,  and  even  ten  thousand  crowns.  "  But," 
says  Brantome,  "  in  the  time  of  King  Henri  II.  the  pay- 
ments were  in  cash,  and  were  made  on  the  spot,  while  in 
our  time  one  is  often  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  special 
terms  of  adjustment." 

The  other  favorite  games  of  the  king,  after  tennis, 
were  football  and  pall-mall ;  and  in  these  games  also  he 
was  a  strong  player. 

In  the  winter,  when  it  was  very  cold,  the  king,  with 
membei-s  of  his  court,  set  out  for  Fontainebleau  ;  and 


THE  COURT  OF  FRANCE.  219 

there,  in  the  avenues  of  the  park  or  on  the  ponds,  they 
amused  themselves  by  sliding  on  the  ice.  If  there  was 
too  much  snow  for  that  diversion,  they  made  forts  and 
fought  with  snowballs ;  if  it  rained,  they  resorted  to  the 
basement  halls  and  practised  fencing. 

Of  the  exercise  last-named  Monsieur  de  Boucard  had 
been  a  victim ;  the  king  while  yet  dauphin,  in  fencing 
with  him,  had  put  out  one  of  his  eyes,  —  "an  accident 
for  which  Henri  politely  asked  his  pardon,"  says  the 
author  from  whom  we  borrow  these  details. 

The  ladies  of  the  court  were  present  at  all  these  exer- 
cises, both  of  the  summer  and  of  the  winter;  for  the 
king  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  presence  of  ladies  marred 
nothing,  and  was  very  ornamental. 

In  the  evening,  after  supper,  another  visit  was  paid  to 
the  queen,  and  when  there  was  no  ball,  —  an  entertain- 
ment quite  rare  at  that  period,  —  two  hours  were  spent 
in  conversation.  It  was  then  that  poets  and  other  men 
of  letters  were  introduced,  —  that  is  to  say,  Messieurs 
Ronsard,  Dorat,  and  Muret,  and  Messieurs  Danesius  and 
Amyot,  preceptors  of  the  princes  Fran§ois  and  Charles ; 
and  then  ensued,  among  these  illustrious  disputants,  dis- 
cussions of  science  and  poetry,  in  which  the  ladies  were 
much  interested. 

One  thing  only,  when  perchance  attention  was  given  it, 
cast  a  shade  of  sorrow  over  that  noble  court,  —  the 
ominous  prediction  declared  on  the  day  of  Henri  II.'s 
accession  to  the  throne.  A  diviner  summoned  to  the 
palace  to  compose  his  nativity  had  announced,  in  pres- 
ence of  the  Constable  de  Montmorency,  that  the  king 
would  be  killed  in  single  combat."  Thereupon  the  king, 
delighted  that  such  a  death  was  promised  him,  had 
turned  to  the  constable,  saying  to  him,  "  Do  you  hear, 
comrade,  what  this  man  promises  me  1 " 


220  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  constable,  thinking  the  king  was  frightened  by 
the  prediction,  had  answered  with  his  usual  roughness : 
"  Eh,  Sire,  do  you  put  any  faith  in  these  rascals,  these 
liars  and  braggarts  1  Let  me  throw  the  fellow's  predic- 
tion into  the  fire,  and  him  with  it,  —  to  teach  him  better 
than  to  bring  us  lies  like  these." 

"  By  no  means,  comrade,"  the  king  had  replied.  "  It 
sometimes  happens  that  these  men  speak  the  truth. 
And  besides,  the  prediction  is  not  bad,  in  my  opinion. 
I  would  rather  die  in  that  way  than  in  any  other,  — 
provided,  of  course,  that  I  am  conquered  by  a  brave  and 
valiant  gentleman,  and  there  is  some  glory  in  it."  And 
instead  of  giving  the  prediction  and  the  astrologer  to 
the  flames,  he  had  generously  rewarded  the  latter,  and 
had  given  the  prophecy  into  the  keeping  of  Monsieur  de 
1'Aubespine,  one  of  his  worthy  councillors,  whom  he 
specially  employed  in  diplomatic  matters. 

This  prediction  had  been  brought  into  prominence 
again  when  Monsieur  de  Chatillon  returned  from  Brus- 
sels ;  for,  as  will  be  remembered,  the  Emperor  Charles  V. 
in  his  little  house  in  the  park  had  asked  the  admiral  to  in- 
form his  good  cousin  Henri  that  the  captain  of  the  Scotch 
Guards,  Gabriel  de  Lorges,  Comte  de  Montgomery,  had 
between  his  eyes  a  certain  sinister  mark  that  betokened 
death  to  one  of  the  princes  of  the  fleur-de-lis. 

But  upon  reflection  King  Henri  II.  had  recognized  the 
improbability  of  a  duel  with  his  captain  of  the  Guards, 
and  though  he  had  ranked  the  former  prediction  among 
things  possible  and  deserving  attention,  he  had  ranked 
the  later  prophecy  among  things  impossible,  which  de- 
serve no  attention;  8f>  that,  instead  of  sending  away 
Gabriel  de  Lorges,  as  perhaps  a  prince  more  timorous 
would  have  done,  he  had,  on  the  contrary,  increased 
toward  him  his  familiarity  and  his  favor. 


THE  COURT  OF  FRANCE.  221 

"We  have  said  that  on  the  right  of  the  king  rode 
Madame  Marguerite  of  France,  daughter  of  Kiug  Frau- 
c,ois  I.  Let  us  for  a  moment  give  our  attention  to  that 
princess,  one  of  the  most  accomplished  of  her  time,  and 
peculiarly  related  to  our  subject. 

The  Princess  Marguerite  of  France  was  born  June  5, 
1523,  in  the  same  palace  of  St.  Germain  whose  thresh- 
old we  have  already  crossed.  It  follows  that  at  the  time 
when  we  introduce  her  to  the  reader  she  was  thirty-three 
years  and  nine  mouths  old. 

How  had  a  princess  so  grand  and  so  beautiful  re- 
mained so  long  unmarried  ?  There  were  two  reasons 
for  this,  one  of  which  she  declared  aloud  before  all ; 
the  other  she  perhaps  would  hardly  dare  to  whisper  to 
herself. 

Kiug  Francis  I.  had  wished  to  marry  her,  while  she 
was  yet  a  young  girl,  to  Monsieur  de  Vendome,  first 
prince  of  the  blood ;  but  she,  with  disdainful  pride,  had 
answered  that  she  would  never  marry  a  man  who  one 
day  would  be  the  subject  of  the  king  her  brother. 

This  was  the  reason  which  she  declared  aloud  for  re- 
maining unmarried,  —  that  she  might  not  fall  from  her 
rank  as  a  princess  of  France;  and  now  for  the  reason 
which  she  might  have  whispered  to  herself,  and  which 
probably  was  the  real  cause  of  her  refusal. 

After  the  conference  at  Nice  between  Pope  Paul  III. 
and  King  Fra^ois  I.,  by  the  order  of  the  king,  the  Queen 
of  Navarre  went  to  visit  the  late  Monsieur  de  Savoie,  the 
father,  at  the  castle  of  Nice,  and  had  taken  with  her 
Madame  Marguerite.  The  old  duke  had  been  much 
pleased  with  the  young  princess,  and  had  spoken  of  a 
marriage  between  her  and  Emmanuel  Philibert.  The 
two  children  had  seen  each  other  at  that  time  ;  but  Em- 
manuel Philibert,  absorbed  in  the  exercises  of  his  age,  in 


222  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  tenderness  for  Leona,  and  in  his  friendship  for  Sciauca- 
Ferro,  had  scarcely  noticed  the  young  princess.  It  was 
not  so  with  her,  however ;  the  image  of  the  young  prince 
had  taken  firm  hold  of  her  heart,  and  when  the  nego- 
tiations were  broken  off  and  war  was  once  more  declared 
between  the  King  of  France  and  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  she 
experienced  a  real  despair,  like  that  of  a  neglected  child, 
which,  for  a  long  time  nourished  by  her  tears,  became 
transformed  into  a  gentle  melancholy,  soothed  by  that 
vague  hope  which  never  abandons  tender  and  trusting 
hearts. 

Twenty  years  had  rolled  by  since  that  time,  and  the 
Princess  Marguerite  had  found  some  pretext  for  refusing 
every  proposal  of  marriage. 

While  waiting  until  chance  or  the  decree  of  Providence 
should  favor  her  secret  desires,  the  Princess  Marguerite 
had  grown  in  height  as  she  grew  in  years,  and  had  be- 
come a  charming  princess,  full  of  grace,  agreeable  in 
manner,  and  of  gentle  disposition.  She  had  beautiful 
golden-colored  hair,  hazel  eyes,  a  nose  somewhat  long, 
full  lips,  and  a  skin  of  milky  whiteness  tinted  with 
rose-color. 

At  the  king's  left  hand,  as  we  have  said,  rode  Diane  de 
Poitiers,  Comtesse  de  Breze,  daughter  of  that  Sieur  de 
Saint- Vallier  who,  an  accomplice  of  the  Constable  de  Bour- 
bon, had  been  condemned  to  be  beheaded  in  the  Place 
*  de  Greve,  and  who  even  when  on  the  scaffold  and  under 
the  sword  of  the  executioner  had  obtained  as  a  favor  — 
if  such  a  thing  can  be  called  a  favor  — the  commutation 
of  his  punishment  to  imprisonment  for  life.  His  im- 
prisonment was  to  be  in  a  space  enclosed  by  four  stone- 
walls, with  no  opening  except  a  little  window  through 
which  his  food  and  drink  were  to  be  handed  to  him. 

This  Diane,  who  was  the  subject  of  mysterious  and 


THE  COURT   OF  FRANCE.  223 

mythical  stories,  was  at  this  time  fifty-eight  years  of  age, 
and  yet  by  her  apparent  youth  and  real  beauty  she 
eclipsed  the  most  beautiful  and  the  youngest  princesses  of 
the  court,  so  that  the  king  preferred  her  beyond  all  others. 

Such  marvellous  and  mysterious  things  as  the  follow- 
ing were  said  of  this  beautiful  Diane,  who  had  been  made 
Duchesse  de  Valentinois  in  1548  by  King  Henri  II.  : 
In  the  first  place,  she  was  said  to  have  been  descended 
from  the  fairy  Melusina,  which  was  the  cause  of  the 
king's  love  for  her,  and  accounted  for  the  wonderful 
preservation  of  her  beauty.  Diane  de  Saint- Vallier  had 
inherited  from  her  ancestress,  the  great  enchantress,  the 
twofold  secret  —  a  rare  and  magic  secret  —  of  eternal 
beauty,  and  the  endless  power  of  inspiring  love. 

Diane  owed  this  eternal  beauty,  it  was  said,  to  drinks 
of  liquid  gold.  It  is  well  known  how  largely  this  liquid 
gold  entered  into  the  chemical  preparations  of  the  Middle 
Ages.  That  endless  power  of  inspiring  love  was  ascribed 
to  the  efficacy  of  a  magic  ring  which  she  had  given  to 
the  king,  and  which  had  the  virtue  of  securing  to  her  the 
king's  love  so  long  as  he  should  wear  it. 

This  last  report  had  gained  general  credence,  for  Ma- 
dame de  Neinours  told  the  story  to  whoever  wished  to 
hear  it,  as  we  in  our  turn  narrate  it. 

The  king  having  fallen  sick,  Queen  Catherine  de'  Me- 
dici had  said  to  Madame  de  Nemours  :  "  My  dear  Duchess, 
the  king  is  very  fond  of  you ;  be  so  kind  as  to  go  to  his 
room  and  sit  by  his  bed,  and  while  talking  with  him  try 
to  take  from  the  third  finger  of  his  left  hand  the  ring  he 
wears,  which  is  a  talisman  given  him  by  Madame  de 
Valentinois  to  secure  his  love  for  her." 

Now,  no  one  at  court  had  much  affection  for  Madame 
de  Valentinois,  —  not  that  she  was  ill-natured,  but  the 
young  women  did  not  like  her  because,  as  we  have  said, 


224  THE  DUKK'S  PAGE. 

she  persisted  in  remaining  young,  and  the  older  women 
detested  her  because  she  would  not  grow  old. 

Madame  de  Nemours  willingly  undertook  the  commis- 
sion ;  and  entering  the  king's  room,  and  sitting  down  by 
the  bed,  she  began  playfully  to  draw  from  Henri's  finger 
the  ring,  the  virtue  of  which  he  himself  did  not  know  ; 
but  no  sooner  had  the  ring  left  the  sick  man's  finger  than 
he  begged  Madame  de  Nemours  to  whistle  for  his  valet. 
Now,  until  the  time  of  Madame  de  Maiutenon,  who  in- 
vented bells,  the  gold  or  silver  whistle  was  the  means 
employed  by  princes  and  noblemen  in  calling  their  ser- 
vants The  sick  man,  therefore,  entreated  Madame  de 
Nemours  to  whistle  for  his  valet,  who,  as  soon  as  he 
appeared,  received  the  king's  orders  to  close  his  door  to 
every  one. 

"  Even  to  Madame  de  Valentinois  1 "  asked  the  aston- 
ished valet. 

"To  Madame  de  Valentinois  as  well  as  others,"  replied 
the  king,  sharply  ;  "  there  is  no  exception  to  the  order." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Madame  de  Valentinois 
presented  herself  at  the  king's  door,  and  was  refused 
admittance.  She  returned  at  the  end  of  an  hour,  and 
was  again  refused ;  at  last,  at  the  end  of  two  hours,  in 
spite  of  a  third  refusal,  she  forced  open  the  door  and 
walked  straight  to  the  king.  She  took  his  hand,  and 
perceiving  that  the  ring  was  gone,  obtained  an  avcf\val  of 
what  had  taken  place,  and  forthwith  insisted  that  he 
should  reclaim  his  ring  from  Madame  de  Nemours.  The 
king's  command  to  return  the  precious  trinket  was  so 
peremptory  that  Madame  de  Nemours,  who  had  not 
yet  delivered  it  up  to  Catherine,  through  fear  of  the 
consequences,  sent  back  the  ring.  The  ring  once  more 
upon  the  king's  finger,  the  fairy  regained  her  power, 
which  from  that  day  forth  suffered  no  diminution. 


THE  COURT  OF  FRANCE.  225 

In  spite  of  the  grave  authorities  which  give  us  this 
history, — and  observe  that  for  the  drink  of  liquid  gold 
we  have  the  testimony  of  Brantome,  and  for  the  affair  of 
the  ring  the  assurance  of  Monsieur  de  Thou  and  Nicolas 
Pasquier,  —  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  no  magic  ex- 
isted in  this  miracle  of  the  beautiful  Diane  de  Poitiers, 
which  a  hundred  years  later  was  to  reappear  in  Ninon  de 
Leuclos  ;  and  we  are  disposed  to  accept,  as  containing 
the  only  and  real  magic,  the  recipe  which  she  herself 
gave  to  any  one  who  asked  it,  —  that  is  to  say,  in  all 
sorts  of  weather,  even  the  coldest,  a  cold-water  bath. 
Besides  this,  every  morning  the  duchess  rose  with  the 
dawn,  rode  for  two  hours  on  horseback,  and  on  her  re- 
turn went  back  to  bed,  where  she  remained  until  noon 
reading  or  talking  with  her  women. 

Nor  was  this  all ;  everything  relating  to  the  beautiful 
Diane  has  been  made  a  subject  of  speculation,  and  the 
most  reliable  historians  have  forgotten  in  her  case  this 
first  principle  of  history,  that  every  accusation  should  be 
supported  by  proof. 

Mezeray  says  —  and  we  are  not  sorry  to  find  Mezeray 
at  fault  —  that  Francois  I.  would  not  have  granted  favor 
to  Jean  de  Poitiers,  Diane's  father,  unless  he  had  taken 
from  his  daughter  "  that  which  was  most  precious  to 
her."  Now,  the  incident  occurred  in  1523  ;  at  that  time 
Diane,  born  in  1499,  was  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and 
for  ten  years  had  been  married  to  Louis  de  Breze.  We 
do  not  say  that  Francois  I.,  an  old  offender  in  that  line, 
did  not  impose  certain  conditions  upon  the  beautiful 
Diane ;  but  it  was  not,  as  Mezeray  says,  upon  a  young 
girl  of  fourteen  years  that  he  imposed  these  conditions; 
and  without  calumniating  that  poor  Monsieur  de  Braze", 
to  whom  his  widow  raised  the  magnificent  tomb  so  much 
admired  at  Rouen,  one  cannot  reasonably  suppose  that 
VOL.  i.  — 15 


226  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

he  left  it  to  the  king  to  take  from  the  -woman  twenty- 
four  years  old  that  which  had  been  most  precious  to  the 
young  girl  of  fourteen. 

All  that  we  have  just  said  has  but  one  aim,  —  to  prove 
to  our  readers  that  the  history  written  by  novelists  is  of 
more  value  than  that  written  by  historians ;  because  it 
is,  in  the  first  place,  more  veracious,  and,  in  the  second 
place,  more  amusing. 

Finally,  Diane  at  this  time,  having  been  a  widow  for 
twenty-six  years,  and  mistress  of  Henri  II.  for  twenty-one 
years,  had,  in  spite  of  her  full  fifty-eight  years  of  age,  a 
most  smooth  and  beautiful  complexion,  beautiful  curly 
black  hair,  an  admirable  figure,  and  a  neck  and  throat 
without  fault. 

This  at  least  was  the  opinion  of  the  old  Constable 
de  Montmorency,  who,  although  more,  than  sixty-four 
years  old,  pretended  to  enjoy  with  the  beautiful  duchess 
peculiar  privileges  ;  which  would  have  made  the  king  very 
jealous  were  it  not  a  well-established  fact  that  those  per- 
sons who  are  most  interested  to  know  a  thing  are  the  last 
to  discover  it,  and  sometimes  do  not  discover  it  at  all. 

Pardon  us  this  long  historical  digression;  but  if  any 
woman  at  this  court,  so  polite,  so  cultured  and  elegant, 
was  worthy  of  so  many  words,  it  was  certainly  that  one 
among  them  who  induced  her  royal  lover  to  wear  the 
colors  which  she  herself  wore  as  a  widow,  —  black  and 
white,  —  and  by  suggestion  of  her  pagan  name  "  Diane," 
inspired  him  with  the  idea  of  adopting  for  arms  a  crescent 
with  this  device  :  Donee  totum  impleat  orbem  / 

We  have  said  that  behind  King  Henri  II.,  who  had 
Madame  Marguerite  of  France  upon  his  right,  and  on  his 
left  the  Duchesse  de  Valentiuois,  rode  the  dauphin  Fran- 
Qois,  with  his  sister  Elisabeth  on  his  right,  and  his  fiancee, 
Mary  Stuart,  on  his  left. 


THE  COURT  OF  FRANCE.  227 

The  dauphin  was  fourteen  years  old  ;  Elisabeth,  thir- 
teen; Mary  Stuart,  thirteen.  The  sum  total  of  their 
ages  was  forty  years. 

The  dauphin  was  a  feeble  and  sickly  child,  of  a  pale 
complexion,  auburn  hair,  eyes  dull  and  without  definite 
expression  save  when  they  gazed  upon  the  young  Mary 
Stuart ;  then  they  became  animated  by  an  expression 
of  desire,  which  changed  the  child  to  a  young  man. 
Furthermore,  he  was  but  little  inclined  to  the  violent  ex- 
ercises of  which  his  royal  father  was  so  fond,  and  seemed 
to  be  oppressed  by  a  lassitude  for  which  the  physicians 
were  unable  to  account.  Following  the  hints  given  in 
the  pamphlets  of  the  period,  they  might  possibly  have 
found  an  explanation  in  that  chapter  of  "  The  Twelve 
Caesars "  where  Suetonius  mentions  Nero's  rides  in  a 
litter  with  his  mother  Agrippina.  We  hasten  to  say, 
however,  that  Catherine  de'  Medici  was  bitterly  hated, 
both  as  a  Catholic  and  as  a  foreigner ;  and  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  believe  without  examination  all  that  was  said  of 
her  in  the  lampoons,  songs,  and  satires  of  the  time, 
issued,  for  the  most  part,  by  Calvinist  presses.  The 
early  death  of  the  young  princes  Franqois  and  Charles, 
to  whom  Henri  was  preferred  by  their  mother,  contri- 
buted not  a  little  to  give  credibility  to  all  those  evil 
reports  which  have  come  down  across  the  centuries,  and 
have  reached  our  own  time  invested  with  an  authenticity 
that  is  almost  historic. 

The  Princess  Elisabeth,  although  a  year  younger  than 
the  dauphin,  seemed  more  mature  than  he.  Her  birth 
had  been  associated  with  public  rejoicings,  as  well  as  the 
source  of  private  satisfaction  ;  for  at  the  very  date  of  her 
birth  articles  of  peace  were  signed  between  King  Francois 
I.  and  King  Henry  VIII.  She  who  by  her  marriage  was 
to  establish  peace  with  Spain  was  related  by  the  date  of 


228  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

her  birth  to  the  peace  with  England.  Her  fath'er,  Henri 
II.,  so  highly  estimated  her  beauty  and  her  character 
that,  upon  the  marriage  of  her  younger  sister,  Madame 
Claude,  to  the  Due  de  Lorraine,  he  replied  to  some  one 
who  remonstrated  with  him  on  the  wrong  done  by  that 
marriage  to  his  elder  daughter,  still  unmarried :  "  My 
daughter  Elisabeth  is  not  of  those  who  would  be  satis- 
fied with  a  duchy  for  a  dowry ;  she  must  have  a 
kingdom,  and  it  must  not  be  a  kingdom  of  secondary 
importance,  but  one  of  the  grandest  and  noblest,  —  she 
is  herself  so  grand  and  noble  in  everything." 

She  had  the  promised  kingdom,  and  with  it  un- 
happiuess  and  death. 

Alas !  no  better  fortune  awaited  the  beautiful  Mary 
Stuart^who  rode  at  the  left  of  the  dauphin,  her  betrothed. 

There  are  misfortunes  which  have  made  such  a  noise  in 
the  world  that  they  have  awakened  an  echo  everywhere, 
and  after  drawing  to  their  victims  the  observation  of  those 
living  at  the  time,  they  still,  across  the  centuries,  when- 
ever recalled  by  the  utterance  of  a  name,  draw  to  these 
victims  the  attention  of  posterity. 

Such,  were  the  misfortunes,  but  little  merited,  of  the 
beautiful  Mary  Stuart,  —  misfortunes  which  so  far  tran- 
scended the  ordinary  allotment  that  the  faults,  the  crimes 
even  of  the  victim,  are  overshadowed  by  the  excess  of 
punishment. 

But  at  this  time  the  young  queen  of  Scotland  was 
joyously  pursuing  her  way  in  a  life  saddened  at  the  out- 
set by  the  death  of  her  father,  the  chivalric  James  V. 
Her  mother  wore  in  her  stead  that  crown'  of  Scotland, 
full  of  thorns,  which,  according  to  the  last  words  of  her 
father,  "came  wi'  a  lass,  and  would  gang  wi'  a  lass." 
She  had  arrived  at  Morlaix  August  20,  1548,  and  then 
for  the  first  time  had  touched  the  soil  of  France,  where 


THE  COURT   OF  FRANCE.  229 

she  spent  her  only  happy  days.  She  brought  with  her 
that  garland  of  Scotch  roses  which  was  called  "  the  four 
Marys,"  consisting  of  four  girls  who  were  of  her  own 
age  to  the  year  and  the  month,  and  whose  names  were 
Mary  Fleming,  Mary  Seaton,  Mary  Livingston,  and  Mary 
Beaton.  She  was  at  that  time  an  adorable  child,  and 
gradually,  as  she  grew  older,  she  had  become  an  adorable 
young  woman.  Her  uncles  —  the  Guises,  who  thought 
they  saw  in  her  the  realization  of  their  ambitious  projects, 
and  who,  not  content  with  extending  their  domination 
over  France,  would  extend  it  through  her  mediation  over 
Scotland,  and  perhaps  even  over  England  —  surrounded 
her  with  a  veritable  worship.  For  example,  the  Cardi- 
nal de  Lorraine  wrote  to  his  sister  Marie  de  Guise  : 
"  Your  daughter  has  improved,  and  is  improvingyjay  by 
day,  in  goodness,  beauty,  and  virtue.  The  king  spends 
his  time  in  chatting  with  her,  and  she  knows  how  to  en- 
tertain him  with  good  and  wise  answers,  as  if  she  were  a 
woman  twenty-five  years  old." 

The  bud  of  that  glowing  rose  had  yet  to  open  itself  to 
love  and  pleasure.  Mary,  unable  to  do  what  gave  her 
no  enjoyment,  passionately  engaged  in  everything  she 
liked.  If  she  danced,  she  danced  till  she  fell  exhausted  ; 
if  she  rode,  it  was  at  a  gallop,  till  the  best  of  racers 
would  be  tired  out ;  if  she  attended  a  concert,  the  music 
shook  her  with  electric  thrills.  Sparkling  with  jewelry, 
caressed,  flattered,  adored,  she  was,  at  thirteen  years  of 
age,  one  of  the  wonders  of  that  court  of  the  Valois, 
so  full  of  wonders.  Catherine  de'  Medici,  who  loved 
nothing  much  except  her  son  Henri,  said,  "Our  little 
Scotch  queenlet  has  only  to  smile  to  turn  all  heads." 
Ronsard  said  :  — 

"  Mid  the  blossoms  of  spring,  in  a  lily  she  came, 
Aiid  her  whiteness  the  lily's  own  white  put  to  shame. 


230  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Yet  her  color  is  such  that  the  roses,  blood-reel, 
Compared  with  her  lips  appear  faded  and  dead. 
Love  with  his  best  touches  fashioned  her  eyes, 
And  the  Graces  —  those  daughters  three  of  the  skies  — 
Their  most  beautiful  gifts  on  this  princess  bestowed, 
And  to  serve  her  the  better  forsook  their  abode." 

The  princess  could  well  appreciate  the  most  subtile 
significance  of  these  charming  tributes.  Prose  and  verse 
were  alike  intelligible  to  her.  She  could  talk  in  Greek 
Latin,  Italian,  English,  Spanish,  and  French.  Poetry 
aud  science  paid  homage  to  her,  and  other  arts  looked  to 
her  for  encouragement.  In  her  travels  with  the  court 
from  one  residence  to  another,  she  went  from  St.  Ger- 
main to  Chambord,  from  Chambord  to  Fontainebleau,  from 
Fontainebleau  to  the  Louvre.  She  lived  among  the  ceil- 
ings of  Primatice,  the  canvases  of  Titian,  the  frescos  of 
Rosso,  the  masterpieces  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  the  statues 
of  Germain  Pilon,  the  sculptures  of  Jean  Goujon,  and 
the  monuments,  porticos,  and  chapels  of  Philibert  De- 
lorme ;  so  that  any  one  who  should  see  her,  so  poetic, 
so  charming,  so  perfect,  amid  all  these  marvels  of  genius, 
might  easily  believe  that  she  was  not  a  creature  of  the 
human  species,  but  had  been  produced  by  some  meta- 
morphosis like  that  of  Galatea,  —  that  she  was  some 
Venus  detached  from  her  canvas,  some  Hebe  who  had 
stepped  down  from  her  pedestal. 

And  now  we,  who  cannot  wield  the  painter's  brush, 
will  try  to  give,  with  the  novelist's  pen,  some  idea  of 
that  intoxicating  beauty. 

She  was,  as  we  have  said,  nearly  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Her  complexion  combined  the  tints  of  the  lily,  the  peach, 
and  the  rose,  with  perhaps  a  little  more  of  the  lily  than 
of  the  others.  Her  high  forehead,  rounded  out  in  its 
upper  part,  seemed  the  seat  of  a  proud  reserve,  and  at 


THE  COURT   OF  FRANCE.  231 

the  same  time  —  strange  combination  !  —  full  of  gentle- 
ness, intelligence,  and  audacity.  It  would  be  surmised 
that  the  will  behind  that  forehead,  should  it  incline  to- 
ward love  and  pleasure,  would  overleap  the  bounds  of 
ordinary  passions,  and  to  satisfy  voluptuous  and  despotic 
desire  would  proceed  even  to  crime.  Her  nose,  slender  and 
delicate  but  strong,  was  aquiline,  like  those  of  the  house 
of  Guise.  Her  ears  were  small,  and  curved  like  irides- 
cent shells  beneath  her  throbbing  temples.  Her  brown 
eyes,  of  a  hue  between  the  chestnut  and  the  violet,  were 
of  a  moist  transparency,  yet  full  of  fire,  under  their 
auburn  lids  and  eyebrows  formed  with  classic  pre- 
cision. Finally,  two  charming  curves  completed,  at 
their  two  angles,  a  mouth  with  red  lips,  tremulous, 
half  open,  which,  when  she  smiled,  seemed  to  spread 
joy  around  her, — above  a  chin  fresh,  white,  rounded, 
and  merging  into  outlines  which  led  by  imperceptible 
gradations  to  a  neck  undulous  and  velvety,  like  that  of 
a  swan. 

Such  was  she  whom  Ronsard  and  Du  Bellay  called 
their  "  tenth  muse."  Such  was  the  head  which,  thirty- 
one  years  later,  was  to  lie  on  the  block  of  Fotheringay, 
and  which  was  to  fall  from  the  body  under  the  axe  of 
Elizabeth's  executioner. 

Alas !  if  a  magician  could  have  announced  to  the 
spectators  who  gazed  upon  that  brilliant  cavalcade,  as 
it  passed  under  the  great  trees  in  the  park  of  St. 
Germain,  the  fate  which  awaited  those  kings,  those 
princes,  those  princesses,  those  grand  noblemen,  those 
elegant  ladies,  would  any  one  of  them,  though  clad  in 
coarsest  garb,  have  wished  to  exchange  his  lot  for  that 
of  those  fine  noblemen  in  doublets  of  silk  and  of  velvet, 
or  of  those  elegant  ladies  in  garments  adorned  with  pearls 
and  gold  1 


232  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Let  us  leave  them  passing  under  the  vaulted  arches 
of  the  chestnut-trees  and  the  beeches,  and  return  to 
the  chateau  of  St.  Germain,  where,  as  we  have  said, 
Catherine  de'  Medici  remained  at  home  upon  the  pretext 
of  a  slight  indisposition. 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  233 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  ROYAL   HUNT. 

SCARCELY  had  the  squires  and  pages  forming  the  rear 
rank  of  the  cortege  disappeared  in  the  depths  of  the 
copses  which  succeeded  the  tall  trees,  and  which  at  this 
period  surrounded  the  park  of  St.  Germain  like  a  gir- 
dle, before  Catherine  withdrew  from  the  balcony,  taking 
with  her  Charles  and  Henri.  Sending  the  elder  to  his 
tutor  and  the  younger  to  her  ladies,  she  remained  alone 
with  the  little  Marguerite,  who  was  still  so  young  that 
there  was  no  occasion  for  concern  as  to  what  she  might 
see  or  hear. 

She  had  just  sent  away  her  two  sons,  when  her  confi- 
dential servant  entered,  announcing  that  the  two  persons 
whom  she  expected  were  in  attendance  in  her  cabinet. 
She  rose  at  once,  hesitated  a  moment  about  sending  away 
her  daughter  as  she  had  sent  her  sons ;  but  thinking, 
doubtless,  that  her  presence  would  do  no  harm,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  her  cabinet. 

Catherine  de'  Medici  was  at  that  time  a  woman  thirty- 
eight  years  of  age,  of  beautiful  and  voluptuous  form,  and 
of  commanding  dignity.  She  had  a  pleasing  countenance, 
a  most  beautiful  neck,  and  perfect  hands.  Her  black 
eyes  were  almost  always  half  closed,  except  when  she 
needed  to  search  the  heart  of  her  adversaries ;  then  their 
glance  possessed  the  lustre  and  sharpness  of  two  blades 
drawn  from  their  scabbards  and  plunged  at  once  into  the 


234  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

same  breast,  where  they  remained  buried,  as  it  were,  until 
they  had  explored  its  innermost  depths. 

She  had  suffered  much,  and  concealed  it  under  a  smil- 
ing countenance.  At  first,  during  the  ten  earlier  years 
of  her  married  life,  which  were  barren,  and  during  which 
the  question  of  repudiating  her  and  giving  the  dauphin 
another  wife  was  twenty  times  considered,  the  love  of 
the  latter  alone  protected  her  and  resisted  desperately 
the  most  terrible  and  inexorable  of  all  arguments,  —  the 
welfare  of  the  State.  At  last,  in  1544,  after  eleven  years 
of  marriage,  she  gave  birth  to  Prince  Francois.  But  al- 
ready, for  nine  years,  her  husband  had  been  the  lover  of 
Diane  de  Poitiers. 

Perhaps,  if  from  the  beginning  of  her  married  life  she 
had  been  a  happy  mother  and  a  fruitful  wife,  she  would 
have  contended  as  wife  and  as  queen  against  the  beauti- 
ful duchess ;  but  her  sterility  reduced  her  to  the  rank  of 
a  mistress.  Instead  of  contending  she  submitted,  and  by 
her  humility  gained  the  protection  of  her  rival. 

Besides,  all  that  splendid  nobility  of  the  sword,  those 
brilliant  soldiers  who  valued  rank  only  when  it  was  a 
flower  grown  in  blood  and  culled  on  the  field  of  battle, 
held  in  light  estimation  the  commercial  race  of  the  Me- 
dici. They  made  sport  of  their  name  and  their  coat-of- 
arms ;  their  ancestors  were  doctors  (mediti) ;  their  arms 
were  not  cannon-balls,  as  they  pretended,  but  pills. 
Mary  Stuart  herself,  who  would  caress  the  Duchesse  de 
Valentinois  with  her  pretty  hand,  soft  as  an  infant's, 
would  sometimes  make  of  that  soft  hand  a  paw  with 
which  to  scratch  Catherine.  "  Are  you  coming  with  us 
to  see  the  Florentine  tradeswoman  1  "  she  would  say  to 
the  Constable  de  Montmoreucy. 

Catherine  bore  all  these  insults ;  she  waited.  For 
what  did  she  wait  ]  She  herself  did  not  know.  Henri  II., 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  235 

her  royal  husband,  was  of  the  same  age  with  herself,  and 
the  state  of  his  health  gave  promise  of  a  long  life.  Never- 
theless, she  waited  with  the  pertinacity  of  one  who,  know, 
iug  and  appreciating  his  own  value,  feels  that  as  God 
makes  nothing  in  vain  the  future  must  have  something 
in  reserve  for  him.  At  this  time  she  had  attached  her- 
self to  the  Guise  party. 

Henri,  weak  in  character,  could  never  rule  by  himself; 
sometimes  it  was  with  the  assistance  of  the  constable, 
and  then  the  Guises  were  at  a  disadvantage  ;  then  again, 
the  Guises  were  his  co-rulers,  and  the  constable  was  in 
disgrace. 

The  House  of  Guise  was  noble  and  powerful.  One  day 
when  Due  Claude,  accompanied  by  his  six  sons,  went  to 
pay  his  respects  to  King  Fra^ois  I.  at  the  Louvre,  the 
king  said  to  him,  "  Cousin,  you  must  be  a  happy  man  to 
see  yourself  reproduced,  before  you  die,  in  so  fine  and 
numerous  a  posterity." 

And  certainly  Due  Claude,  when  he  died,  left  a  family 
which  was  the  richest,  most  talented,  and  most  ambi- 
tious in  the  kingdom.  These  six  brothers,  whom  their 
father  had  presented  to  Franqois  I.,  had  altogether  an 
income  of  about  eight  hundred  thousand  francs,  —  that  is 
to  say,  more  than  four  millions  of  our  money. 

The  eldest,  who  was  called  Due  Fra^ois  le  Balafre, 
was  the  Grand  Due  de  Guise.  His  position  at  court  was 
almost  that  of  a  prince  of  the  blood.  He  had  a  chaplain, 
a  treasurer,  eight  secretaries,  twenty  pages,  and  a  retinue 
of  eighty  gentlemen  ;  a  kennel  whose  dogs  were  second 
only  to  those '  of  the  royal  stock ;  stables  containing 
horses  from  Africa,  Turkey,  and  Spain;  perches  full  of 
gerfalcons  and  hawks  of  priceless  value,  which  had  been 
sent  him  by  Soliman  and  other  infidel  princes,  who  thus 
paid  homage  to  his  renown.  The  King  of  Xavarre  wrote 


236  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

to  him  announcing  the  birth  of  his  son,  afterward 
Henri  IV.  The  Constable  de  Montmorency  himself,  the 
most  haughty  nobleman  of  his  time,  in  writing  to  him 
began  his  letter  with  "  Monseigneur,"  and  closed  it  with 
"  Your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant ; "  and 
in  reply  the  duke  would  say,  "  Monsieur  le  Connetable," 
and  "  Your  very  good  friend,"  —  a  statement,  by  the 
way,  which  was  not  true,  for  the  houses  of  Guise  and 
Montmoreucy  were  in  eternal  feud. 

It  is  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  the  chronicles  of 
the  time,  whether  unfolded  by  the  aristocratic  pen  of  the 
Sieur  de  Brantome,  or  recorded  every  hour  in  the  journal 
of  the  Grand  Crier,  Pierre  de  1'Estoille,  in  order  to  have 
an  idea  of  the  power  of  this  privileged  and  tragic  race, 
conspicuous  in  the  street  as  on  the  battle-field,  and  lis- 
tened to  in  the  market-place  as  well  as  in  the  cabinets  of 
the  Louvre,  Windsor,  or  the  Vatican,  —  especially  when 
represented  by  Due  Fra^ois  himself.  Go  into  the  Mu- 
seum of  Artillery  and  look  at  the  breastplate  worn  by 
the  eldest  Guise  at  the  siege  of  Metz,  and  you  will  see  on 
it  the  marks  of  five  balls,  three  of  which  alone  would 
certainly  have  been  fatal  if  their  force  had  not  been 
deadened  by  the  rampart  of  steel. 

It  was  therefore  a  cause  of  rejoicing  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Paris  whenever  he  emerged  from  the  Hotel  de  Guise, 
and  when,  more  generally  known  and  more  popular  than 
the  king  himself,  mounted  upon  "  Fleur-de-lis  "  or  "  Mou- 
ton,"  —  these  were  his  two  favorite  horses,  —  dressed 
in  his  doublet  and  small-clothes  of  crimson  silk,  his  vel- 
vet cloak,  his  cap  surmounted  by  a  plume  of  the  same 
color  as  his  doublet,  and  followed  by  four  hundred  gentle- 
men, he  rode  through  the  streets  of  the  capital.  Then 
every  one  hastened  to  see  him  pass,  —  some  throwing 
branches  of  trees  before  him,  and  others  strewing  flow- 


THE  ROYAL   HUNT.  237 

era  under  his  horse's  feet,  crying  out,  "  Long  live  our 
duke !  " 

And  he,  rising  in  his  stirrups,  —  as  he  was  accustomed 
to  do  in  the  battle-field,  in  order  to  extend  his  view  and 
expose  himself  to  danger,  —  bowing  to  right  and  left, 
saluting  courteously  the  women,  men,  and  aged  persons, 
smiling  upon  the  young  girls,  caressing  the  children,  — 
was  the  true  king,  not  of  the  Louvre,  of  St.  Germain, 
of  Fontainebleau  or  the  Tournelles,  but  the  king  of  the 
streets,  the  squares,  and  the  market-places,  —  the  true 
king,  the  real  king,  since  he  was  the  king  of  hearts  ! 

So,  at  the  risk  of  breaking  the  truce  of  which  France 
had  so  much  need,  when  Pope  Paul  III.  —  on  account 
of  a  private  quarrel  with  Colouna,  whom  the  support  he 
expected  from  Philip  II.  had  rendered  sufficiently  bold 
to  take  up  arms  against  the  Holy  See  —  declared  the 
King  of  Spain  dethroned  from  his  sovereignty  of  Naples, 
and  offered  this  sovereignty  to  Henry  II.,  the  king  did 
not  hesitate  to  appoint  the  Due  Fra^ois  de  Guise  general- 
in-chief  of  the  army  which  he  was  to  send  into  Italy. 

It  is  true  that  on  this  occasion  and  for  the  first  time 
Guise  and  Montmorenoy  were  of  one  mind.  With  Fran- 
c.ois  de  Guise  out  of  France,  Anne  de  Montmorency  would 
be  the  first  personage  in  the  kingdom  ;  and  while  the 
great  captain  was  prosecuting  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mountains  his  projects  of  glory,  Montmoreucy,  who  con- 
sidered himself  a  great  politician,  could  pursue  at  the 
court  his  ambitious  projects,  the  most  urgent  of  which 
at  that  moment  was  to  marry  his  son  to  Madame  Diane, 
legitimate  daughter  of  the  Duchesse  de  \ralentiuois,  and 
widow  of  the  Duke  of  Castro,  of  the  house  of  Farnese, 
who  was  killed  at  the  assault  of  Hesdin. 

Monsieur  le  Due  Frauqois  de  Guise,  then,  was  at  Rome 
fighting  against  the  Duke  of  Alva. 


238  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  second  son  of  this  family  of  Guise  was  the  Cardi- 
nal of  Lorraine,  who  was  no  less  able  than  his  brother,  and 
whom  Pius  V.  called  "  the  pope  beyond  the  mountains." 
He  was,  says  the  author  of  the  "  Histoire  .de  Marie 
Stuart,"  a  diplomatist  of  twofold  strength,  having  the 
audacity  of  a  Guise  and  the  subtlety  of  an  Italian. 
Later  on  he  conceived,  matured,  and  put  in  execution 
that  grand  idea  of  the  League,  which  led  his  nephew 
gradually  near  the  throne,  until  the  moment  when  uncle 
and  nephew  were  struck  down  by  the  sword  of  the  Forty- 
five.  When  the  six  Guises  were  at  court,  the  four 
younger  ones  —  the  Due  d'Aumale,  the  grand  prior,  the 
Marquis  d'Elbeuf,  and  the  Cardinal  de  Guise  —  never 
failed  to  come,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  morning  recep- 
tion of  Cardinal  Charles;  then  all  five  attended  the 
morning  reception  of  Due  Fra^ois,  who  accompanied 
them  to  that  of  the  king. 

These  two  elder  Guises  —  one  after  the  manner  of  a 
soldier,  and  the  other  like  a  cardinal  —  had  erected  their 
batteries  with  a  view  to  the  future.  Due  Fra^ois  had 
made  himself  the  king's  master;  Cardinal  Charles  had 
become  the  queen's  lover.  The  grave  L'Estoille  speaks 
of  the  matter  in  a  way  which  leaves  in  the  mind  of  the 
most  incredulous  reader  no  further  doubt  on  the  subject. 
"  One  of  my  friends,"  he  says,  "  told  me  that  once  when 
he  occupied,  together  with  the  cardinal's  valet,  a  room 
adjoining  that  of  the  queen  mother,  he  saw  toward  mid- 
night the  said  cardinal,  with  a  dressing-gown  only  thrown 
over  his  shoulders,  making  his  way  to  the  queen's  room, 
and  that  his  friend  told  him  that  it  would  be  at  the  risk 
of  his  life  that  he  spoke  of  what  he  had  seen." 

It  would  take  too  long  to  describe  the  other  princes  of 
the  house  of  Guise  who  play  an  insignificant  part  in  the 
course  of  this  story.  We  will  confine  ourselves,  there- 


THE  ROYAL   HUNT.  239 

fore,  to  the  portraits  we  have  just  drawn,  insufficient  as 
they  are,  of  Due  Francois  and  Cardinal  Charles. 

It  was  this  Cardinal  Charles  —  who  had  been  seen 
going  at  night  to  the  queen's  apartment  with  only  a 
dressing-gown  thrown  over  his  shoulders  —  who  was 
waiting  for  Catherine  de'  Medici  in  her  cabinet. 

Catherine  expected  to  find  him  there;  but  she  ex- 
pected to  find  him  alone.  He  was,  in  fact,  accompanied 
by  a  young  man  twenty-five  or  twenty-six  years  of  age,  ele- 
gantly dressed,  although  evidently  in  travelling  costume. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,  Monsieur  de  Nemours  ! "  exclaimed 
the  queen,  as  she  perceived  the  young  man ;  "  you  come 
from  Italy.  What  news  from  Rome  1 " 

"  Bad,  Madame  !  "  replied  the  cardinal,  while  the  Due 
de  Nemours  saluted  the  queen. 

"  Bad  !  Has  our  dear  cousin,  the  Due  de  Guise,  been 
defeated  1 "  asked  Catherine.  "  Take  care  !  do  not  say 
yes,  for  I  shall  not  believe  it ;  such  a  thing  would  be 
impossible  !  " 

"  No,  Madame,"  replied  the  Due  de  Nemours,  "  Mon- 
sieur de  Guise  has  not  been  defeated ;  as  you  say,  that 
would  be  impossible  !  But  he  has  been  betrayed  by 
Caraffa,  abandoned  even  by  the  pope,  and  he  has  de- 
spatched me  to  inform  the  king  that  his  position  is  no 
longer  tenable,  with  honor  either  to  himself  or  France, 
and  to  beg  either  for  speedy  reinforcements  or  his  instant 
recall." 

"  And  according  to  our  agreement,  Madame,"  said  the 
cardinal,  "  I  have  brought  Monsieur  de  Nemours  first  to 
you." 

"  But,"  said  Catherine,  "  the  recall  of  Monsieur  de 
Guise  means  relinquishing  the  pretensions  of  the  King 
of  France  to  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  and  my  claims  to 
the  duchy  of  Tuscany." 


240  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  cardinal ;  "  but  remember,  Madame, 
that  it  cannot  be  long  before  we  have  war  in  France, 
and  that  then  it  will  not  be  a  question  of  reconquering 
Naples  and  Florence,  but  of  protecting  Paris." 

"  What !  Paris  !  You  jest,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal !  It 
seems  to  me  that  France  can  defend  France,  and  that 
Paris  can  protect  itself." 

"  I  fear  that  you  are  mistaken,  Madame,"  replied  the 
cardinal.  "  Our  best  troops,  depending  on  the  truce, 
have  gone  to  Italy  with  my  brother ;  and  certainly,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  incomprehensible  conduct  of  Cardinal 
Caraffa,  —  had  it  not  been  for  the  treachery  of  the  Duke 
of  Parma,  who  has  so  far  forgotten  what  he  owes  to  the 
King  of  France  as  to  make  common  cause  with  the  em- 
peror, an  advance  movement  upon  Naples  and  the  neces- 
sity King  Philip  would  be  under  of  weakening  his  forces 
in  order  to  protect  Naples,  would  have  prevented  an 
attack  upon  France.  But  now  that  Philip  is  assured  that 
he  has  men  enough  in  Italy  to  hold  us  in  check,  he  will 
turn  his  attention  toward  France,  and  will  not  fail  to 
take  advantage  of  its  weakness.  Besides,  this  prank  of 
the  constable's  nephew  apparently  justifies  the  King  of 
Spain  in  breaking  the  truce." 

11  You  refer  to  his  descent  upon  Douai  ?  "  said 
Catherine. 

"  Exactly." 

"  Listen  !  "  said  the  queen.  "  You  know  that  I  detest 
the  admiral  as  heartily  as  you  do  ;  therefore  procure  his 
downfall  if  you  can.  1  will  not  hinder  you,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  will  give  you  all  the  aid  in  my  power." 

"  In  the  mean  time  upon  what  do  you  decide  1 "  said 
the  cardinal.  And  seeing  that  Catherine  hesitated,  he 
continued  :  "  Oh,  you  can  speak  before  Monsieur  de 
Nemours  !  He  belongs  to  Savoy,  it  is  true,  but  is  as 


THE   ROYAL  HUNT.  241 

much  our  friend  as  his  cousin  Emmanuel  Philibert  is 
our  enemy." 

"  Decide  yourself,  Cardinal,"  said  Catherine,  throwing 
a  side  glance  at  the  prelate ;  "  I  am  but  a  woman,  whose 
weak  mind  is  little  fitted  for  politics." 

The  cardinal  understood  Catherine's  glance.  She  had 
no  friends  ;  she  had  only  accomplices. 

"Still,  Madame,"  said  Charles  de  Guise,  "give  an 
opinion,  and  I  will  use  the  privilege  of  opposing  it  if  it 
does  not  agree  with  my  own." 

"  Well,  then,  I  think,"  said  Catherine,  "  that  the  king, 
being  the  sole  head  of  the  State,  should  be  the  first  to 
receive  important  information.  In  my  opinion,  then,  if 
Monsieur  le  Due  is  not  too  fatigued,  he  should  remount 
his  horse,  rejoin  the  king  wherever  he  may  be,  and  de- 
liver to  him  before  any  one  else  the  news  which  in  your 
friendship  for  me,  my  dear  Cardinal,  you  have  brought 
first  to  me,  much  to  my  regret." 

The  cardinal  turned  toward  the  Due  de  Nemours  in- 
quiringly. But  the  latter,  bowing,  said,  "  Monseigneur, 
I  am  never  fatigued  when  I  can  be  employed  in  the 
king's  service." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  the  cardinal,  "  you  shall  have  a 
fresh  horse;  and  I  will  take  the  risk  of  notifying  the 
secretaries  that  the  king  will  hold  a  council  immediately 
upon  his  return  from  the  hunt.  Follow  me,  Monsieur  de 
Nemours  ! " 

The  young  duke  saluted  the  queen  respectfully,  and 
was  about  to  follow  Monsieur  le  Cardinal  de  Lorraine, 
when  Catherine  touched  lightly  the  latter's  arm. 

"  After  you,  Monsieur  de  Nemours,"  said  Charles  de 
Guise. 

"  Monseigneur  —  "  said  Jacques  de  Nemours,  hesitating. 

"Lead  the  way,  I  entreat  you." 
VOL.  i.  — 16 


242  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  And  I,"  said  the  queen,  extending  her  beautiful 
hand,  —  "I  command  you,  Monsieur  le  Due!" 

The  duke,  concluding  that  doubtless  the  queen  had 
some  private  business  with  the  cardinal,  made  no  fur- 
ther difficulty  about  taking  precedence ;  and  kissing  the 
queen's  hand,  he  went  out,  purposely  allowing  the  cur- 
tain to  fall  behind  him. 

"What  is  it,  my  dear  Queen  1 "  asked  the  cardinal. 

"  I  wanted  to  tell  you,"  replied  Catherine,  "  that  the 
good  King  Louis  XL,  who  in  consideration  of  a  loan  of 
five  hundred  thousand  crowns  gave  our  ancestor  Laurent 
de'  Medici  permission  to  add  three  fleurs-de-lis  to  our 
coat-of-arms,  used  to  say,  'If  my  night-cap  knew  my 
secret,  I  would  burn  my  night-cap  ! '  Remember  this 
maxim  of  the  good  King  Louis  XL,  my  dear  Cardinal. 
You  are  too  confiding  !  " 

It  amused  the  cardinal  that  this  piece  of  advice  should 
be  given  him,  who  was  considered  the  most  cautious  of 
politicians ;  he  had  met  with  a  caution  greater  than  his 
own  in  the  person  of  the  Florentine  Catherine  de'  Medici. 

The  cardinal  in  his  turn  stepped  beyond  the  curtains, 
and  saw  the  prudent  young  man,  who,  that  he  might  not 
be  accused  of  listening,  was  waiting  for  him  at  the  end  of 
the  corridor.  They  descended  together  into  the  court- 
yard, where  Charles  de  Guise  ordered  a  groom  to  bring 
instantly  a  horse  saddled  and  bridled.  The  groom  re- 
turned in  five  minutes  leading  the  horse.  Nemours 
sprang  into  the  saddle  with  the  grace  of  an  accomplished 
horseman,  and  set  off  at  full  gallop  down  the  broad 
avenue  of  the  park. 

The  young  man  had  been  told  that  he  would  probably 
find  the  royal  hunting-party  somewhere  near  the  road  to 
Poissy.  He  therefore  laid  his  course  in  that  direction, 
hoping  that  when  he  arrived  at  the  start  the  sound  of 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  243 

the  horns  would  guide  him  to  the  king.  But  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  road  to  Poissy  he  saw  and  heard  nothing. 
A  wood-cutter  whom  he  questioned  told  him  that  the 
hunting-party  had  gone  toward  Conflans ;  so  he  turned 
bis  horse's  head  in  that  direction. 

In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  while  riding  up  a  cross- 
road, he  saw  in  an  open  place  just  before  him  a  cavalier, 
who  was  rising  in  his  stirrups  in  order  to  see  farther,  and 
putting  his  hands  to  his  ears  in  order  to  hear  better. 

This  cavalier  was  a  hunter,  who  evidently  had  become 
separated  from  the  hunting-party.  But  although  this 
hunter  had  lost  his  way,  he  would  be  likely  to  know 
more  of  the  probable  locality  of  the  hunt  than  the  young 
duke  who  had  arrived  from  Italy  scarcely  a  half-hour 
before.  Therefore  Monsieur  de  Nemours  rode  up  to  the 
hunter. 

The  latter,  seeing  a  cavalier  approach  him,  and  sup- 
posing he  had  found  some  one  who  could  enlighten  him 
as  to  the  progress  of  the  hunt,  also  advanced. 

But  in  a  moment  both  put  spurs  to  their  horses ;  they 
had  recognized  each  other. 

The  cavalier  who  had  lost  the  hunt,  who  was  trying 
to  ascertain  his  whereabouts  by  rising  in  his  stirrups  to 
see  and  putting  his  hands  to  his  ears  to  hear,  was  the 
captain  of  the  Scotch  Guards. 

The  two  cavaliers  accosted  each  other  with  that  cour- 
teous familiarity  which  distinguished  the  young  noble- 
men of  that  period.  Besides,  although  one,  the  Due  de 
Nemours,  was  of  a  princely  house,  the  other,  the  Comte 
de  Montgomery,  belonged  to  the  oldest  Norman  nobility, 
and  was  a  descendant  of  that  Roger  de  Montgomery  who 
had  been  with  William  the  Bastard  at  the  conquest  of 
*England. 

Now,  there  were  in  France  some  old  names  which  were 


244  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

considered  of  equal  rank  with  the  names  which  were  the 
most  powerful  and  glorious,  notwithstanding  the  inferi- 
ority of  the  titles  they  bore.  For  instance,  there  were 
the  Montmorencys,  who  had  only  the  title  of  baron ;  the 
Rohans  were  only  seigneurs ;  there  were  the  Coucys, 
who  were  only  sires,  and  the  Montgomeiys,  who  were 
only  counts. 

As  the  Due  de  Nemours  had  imagined,  Montgomery 
had  lost  the  hunt,  and  was  trying  to  find  out  where  he 
•was.  The  place  he  had  chosen  was  well  fitted  for  this 
purpose ;  it  was  an  open  place  upon  an  elevation  to 
which  every  sound  would  rise,  and  overlooked  five  or  six 
roads  through  one  of  which  the  hunted  animal  would  not 
fail  to  pass. 

The  two  young  men,  who  had  not  seen  each  other  for 
more  than  six  months,  had  a  thousand  important  ques- 
tions to  ask  each  other,  —  Montgomery,  on  the  subject 
of  the  army  and  the  glorious  enterprises  of  war  in  which 
Monsieur  de  Guise  would  naturally  embark  ;  the  other, 
about  the  court  of  France  and  the  fine  intrigues  which 
were  carried  on  there. 

They  had  reached  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  con- 
versation, when  Comte  de  Montgomery  laid  his  hand 
upon  the  duke's  arm.  He  thought  he  heard  the  baying 
of  the  hounds  in  the  distance.  Both  listened.  The 
count  was  not  mistaken ;  for  just  then  they  saw  at  the 
end  of  a  long  path  an  enormous  boar  passing  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow.  About  fifty  steps  behind  him  followed 
the  fiercest  of  the  dogs ;  then  the  bulk  of  the  pack,  and 
after  them  the  stragglers. 

Montgomery  instantly  put  his  horn  to  his  mouth  and 
sounded  the  view  halloo,  in  order  to  call  together  those 
who,  like  himself,  might  be  wandering  astray,  —  of  whom 
there  must  have  been  a  considerable  number,  for  three 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  245 

persons  only,  a  man  and  two  women,  followed  in  the 
track  of  the  animal. 

By  the  ardor  with  which  the  man  followed  the  chase, 
the  two  officers  imagined  that  they  recognized  the  king ; 
but  the  distance  was  so  great  that  it  was  impossible  to  say 
who  were  the  two  bold  amazons  who  followed  him  so  closely. 

All  the  rest  of  the  hunting-party  seemed  to  have  been 
scattered. 

The  Due  de  Nemours  and  the  Comte  de  Montgomery 
dashed  into  a  path  which,  from  the  direction  taken  by 
the  animal,  would  enable  them  to  cross  the  course  of  the 
chase  at  right  angles. 

The  king  had  indeed  roused  near  the  road  to  Poissy 
the  animal,  which  in  terms  of  venery  is  called  a  ragot. 
It  had  broken  cover  with  that  ferocity  which  character- 
izes old  animals,  and  headed  straight  for  Conflans.  The 
king  had  immediately  set  out  in  pursuit,  sounding  the 
start ;  and  all  the  court  had  followed  the  king. 

But  boars  are  bad  courtiers ;  and  this  particular  boar, 
instead  of  keeping  to  the  open  forest  and  good  roads, 
had  dashed  into  the  thickest  coppice-wood  and  bram- 
bles ;  the  consequence  of  which  was  that  after  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  only  the  most  inveterate  of  the  hunters 
followed  the  king  closely,  and  of  all  the  ladies  three  only 
kept  up  with  him  :  these  were  Madame  Marguerite,  the 
king's  sister;  Diane  de  Poitiers;  and  Mary  Stuart,  the 
little  "queenlet,"  as  Catherine  called  her. 

In  spite  of  the  courage  of  the  illustrious  hunters  and 
huntresses  of  whom  we  have  just  spoken,  the  difficulties 
of  the  ground,  the  thickness  of  the  forest,  which  obliged 
the  horsemen  to  take  a  circuitous  way,  the  height  of  the 
bushes  which  it  was  impossible  to  clear,  would  soon  have 
allowed  the  boar  and  the  dogs  to  disappear  in  the 
distance ;  but  at  the  very  edge  of  the  forest  the  animal 


246  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

had  encountered  the  wall,  which  obliged  him  to  retrace 
his  steps. 

The  king,  left  behind  for  the  moment,  but  relying  on 
his  pack  of  greyhounds,  had  paused  to  await  the  result. 
This  afforded  some  of  the  hunters  an  .opportunity  to 
rejoin  him ;  but  soon  the  baying  of  the  dogs  was  heard 
once  more. 

That  part  of  the  forest  toward  which  the  animal  now 
turned  was  more  open  than  the  rest ;  the  consequence 
was  that  this  time  the  king  could  resume  the  chase  with 
the  probability  of  continuing  it  to  the  end. 

But,  as  had  been  the  case  ten  minutes  before,  each  one 
held  to  the  pursuit  with  a  persistence  limited  to  his  en- 
durance and  courage.  Besides,  among  the  handsome 
noblemen  and  charming  women  who  constituted  this 
court  many  perhaps  fell  behind  who  were  not  absolutely 
compelled  to  it  by  the  incompetence  of  their  horses,  the 
thickness  of  the  wood,  or  by  the  inequalities  of  the 
ground ;  indeed,  this  was  clearly  proved  by  the  groups  of 
gentlemen  and  ladies  which  were  seen  at  the  corners  of 
the  avenues  and  in  the  open  places,  who  seemed  more  in- 
terested in  the  conversations  in  which  they  were  engaged 
than  in  listening  for  the  baying  of  the  dogs  and  the  horn 
of  the  huntsmen.  And  this  explains  the  fact  that  when 
Montgomery  and  Nemours  caught  sight  of  the  boar,  it 
was  followed  only  by  a  cavalier  whom  the  young  men 
thought  they  recognized  as  the  king,  and  by  two  ladies 
whom  they  could  not  distinguish. 

It  was  in  fact  the  king,  who  with  his  usual  ardor 
wished  to  arrive  in  advance  of  the  others,  at  the  moment 
when  the  boar,  brought  to  a  stand,  should  place  himself 
before  some  tree,  bush,  or  rock,  and  make  head  against 
the  dogs. 

The  two  amazons  who  were  close  behind  him  were 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  247 

Madame  de  Yalentinois  and  the  little  Queen  Mary,  of 
whom  the  former  was  the  best,  and  the  latter  the  boldest 
horsewoman  among  the  court  ladies. 

Xow  the  boar  was  flagging,  and  evidently  could  hold 
out  no  longer ;  already  the  foremost  dogs  were  at  his 
heels.  For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  more,  however,  he  tried 
to  escape  his  enemies  by  flight ;  but  perceiving  that  he 
was  nearly  overtaken,  he  determined  to  die  a  noble  death, 
the  proper  death  of  a  boar;  grunting,  and  working  his 
huge  jaws,  he  took  his  stand  against  the  upturned  roots 
of  a  tree. 

Scarcely  had  he  done  this,  when  the  whole  pack  rushed 
upon  him,  and  announced  by  their  redoubled  barking 
that  the  animal  had  turned  to  bay. 

The  sound  of  the  king's  horn  was  soon  mingled  with 
the  barking  of  the  dogs,  which  he  followed  as  closely  as 
they  themselves  followed  the  animal. 

As  he  sounded  his  horn  he  turned  to  look  for  his  gun- 
bearer;  but  Henri  had  distanced  all  the  most  inveterate 
huntsmen,  even  those  whose  duty  it  was  never  to  leave 
him,  and  saw  only  Diane  and  Mary  Stuart  —  who,  as  we 
have  said,  had  persisted  in  the  chase  —  coming  after  him 
at  full  speed. 

Not  a  lock  of  the  beautiful  Duchesse  de  Valentinois's 
hair  was  out  of  place,  and  her  velvet  cap  was  fastened 
upon  the  top  of  her  head  as  firmly  as  at  the  moment  of 
setting  out. 

As  for  the  little  Mary,  she  had  lost  veil  and  cap  ;  and 
her  beautiful  auburn  hair,  dishevelled  by  the  wind,  as 
well  as  the  charming  glow  upon  her  cheeks,  bore  witness 
to  the  wildness  of  her  ride. 

The  sound  of  the  king's  horn  soon  brought  up  the 
gun-beai'er,  with  an  arquebuse  in  his  hand  and  another 
on  the  pommel  of  his  saddle.  Behind  him,  through  the 


248  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

trees,  were  seen  the  glitter  of  gold  embroideries,  and  the 
bright  colors  of  dresses,  doublets,  and  cloaks.  These 
belonged  to  the  hunters,  who  were  advancing  from  every 
direction. 

The  animal  did  his  best;  attacked  at  once  by  sixty 
dogs,  he  held  his  own  against  them  all.  While  the 
sharpest  teeth  were  dulled  upon  his  tough  hide,  the 
blows  of  his  tusk  produced  deep  wounds  upon  the  adver- 
sary on  whom  they  fell.  But  although  mortally  wounded, 
and  notwithstanding  their  loss  of  blood,  their  trailing 
entrails,  the  king's  grays,  as  they  were  called,  were  of  so 
noble  a  breed  that  they  only  returned  fiercer  to  the  com- 
bat ;  and  the  multitudinous  spots  of  blood  which  stained 
this  carpet  of  living  green  were  the  only  evidence  of 
wounds. 

The  king  saw  that  it  was  time  to  put  an  end  to  this 
butchery,  or  he  would  lose  his  best  dogs.  He  threw 
down  his  horn,  and  motioned  his  gun-bearer  to  give  him 
an  arquebuse. 

The  match  was  already  lighted,  and  the  gun-bearer 
had  only  to  hand  the  weapon  to  the  king,  who  was  an 
excellent  shot  and  rarely  missed  his  aim.  Arquebuse  in 
hand,  he  advanced  to  within  twenty-five  feet  of  the  boar, 
whose  eyes  shone  like  burning  coals.  He  aimed  between 
the  animal's  eyes,  and  fired. 

The  animal  had  received  the  charge  in  the  head,  but 
by  a  movement  made  at  the  moment  when  the  king  was 
pulling  the  trigger,  had  turned  his  head  to  one  side,  so 
that  the  ball  had  just  grazed  the  bone,  and  killed 
one  of  the  dogs.  On  the  boar's  head,  between  the  eye 
and  ear,  a  line  of  blood  was  seen,  indicating  the  course 
the  ball  had  taken. 

Henri  remained  for  a  moment  astonished  that  the  ani- 
mal had  not  fallen  dead ;  while  his  horse,  trembling  all 


THE  ROYAL  HUNT.  249 

over,  settled  on  his  haunches  and  pawed  the  air  with  his 
forefeet.  He  handed  to  the  huntsman  the  discharged 
arquebuse,  and  took  from  him  in  exchange  another  al- 
ready primed  and  lighted,  and  laid  the  breach  against 
his  shoulder. 

But  before  he  had  time  to  aim,  the  boar,  unwilling 
doubtless  to  run  the  risk  of  a  second  shot,  suddenly 
shook  off  the  dogs  which  were  clinging  around  him,  made 
a  charge  through  the  pack,  leaving  a  bloody  trail  behind 
him,  and  quick  as  lightning  rushed  between  the  legs  of 
the  king's  horse,  which  reared  upon  his  hind  legs  with 
a  cry  of  pain,  exposing  to  view  a  wound  from  which  blood 
flowed  and  entrails  dropped,  and  then  fell,  with  the  king 
under  him. 

All  this  happened  so  suddenly  that  it  had  not  occurred 
to  one  of  the  spectators  to  make  an  attack  on  the  boar, 
who  had  renewed  his  charge  upon  the  king  before  the 
latter  had  time  to  draw  his  hunting-knife.  Henri  tried 
to  get  hold  of  it,  but  it  was  impossible ;  the  hunting-knife 
was  held  fast  under  his  left  side. 

Brave  as  the  king  was,  he  had  already  opened  his 
mouth  to  cry  for  help,  —  for  the  hideous  head  of  the 
boar,  with  its  eyes  of  fire,  its  bloody  mouth,  and  its  sharp 
tusks,  was  right  upon  him,  —  when  suddenly  he  heard, 
close  to  his  ear,  a  voice  whose  firmness  of  tone  there  is 
no  mistaking,  say,  "  Do  not  stir,  Sire ;  I  will  answer  for 
your  safety."  Then  he  felt  his  arm  raised,  and  saw  a 
long  sharp  blade  flash  quickly  by  him  and  plunge  itself 
into  the  body  of  the  boar. 

At  the  same  time  two  strong  arms  seized  Henri  from 
behind,  drawing  him  from  under  the  horse,  leaving  the 
king's  defender  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  the  animal  to 
which  he  had  just  given  the  death-blow. 

He  who  drew  the  king  from  his  dangerous  position  was 


250  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  Due  de  Nemours ;  the  other,  who  with  one  knee  on 
the  ground  and  with  arm  extended  had  just  run  his 
sword  through  the  boar's  heart,  was  the  Comte  de 
Montgomery. 

The  Comte  de  Montgomery  drew  his  sword  from  the 
animal's  body,  wiped  it  upon  the  long  grass,  replaced  it 
in  its  scabbard,  and  advancing  toward  Henri  It.  as  if 
nothing  extraordinary  had  happened,  "Sire,"  he  said, 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  present  to  you  Monsieur  le  Due  de 
Nemours,  who  comes  from  beyond  the  mountains,  and 
who  is  the  bearer  of  news  to  the  king  from  Monsieur  le 
Due  de  Guise  and  his  brave  army  in  Italy." 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.         251 


CHAPTER  III. 

CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL. 

Two  hours  after  the  scene  we  have  just  described,  — 
when  the  real  or  affected  agitation  in  the  minds  of  those 
present  had  subsided ;  when  congratulations  had  been 
offered  to  the  Comte  de  Montgomery  and  the  Due  de 
Nemours,  the  two  saviors  of  the  king,  upon  the  courage 
and  adroitness  they  had  displayed  on  this  occasion ;  when 
the  quarry  — an  important  matter,  which  was  never  neg- 
lected for  the  most  serious  business  —  was  distributed 
among  the  dogs  in  the  courtyard  of  the  chateau  in  pres- 
ence of  the  king,  the  queen,  and  all  the  gentlemen  and 
ladies  of  the  court  at  St.  Germain,  —  Henri  II.,  with 
the  smiling  face  of  a  man  who  has  just  escaped  mortal 
peril,  and  who  feels  strong  and  full  of  life  in  proportion 
as  the  peril  has  been  great,  entered  his  cabinet,  where, 
besides  his  ordinary  councillors,  Cardinal  Charles  de  Lor- 
raine and  Constable  de  Montmorency  awaited  him. 

We  have  already  two  or  three  times  spoken  of  the 
Constable  de  Moutmorency ;  but  we  have  neglected  to  do 
for  him  what  we  have  done  for  the  other  heroes  of  this 
story,  —  that  is  to  say,  raise  him  from  his  tomb  and 
place  him  before  our  readers,  like  the  celebrated  Consta- 
ble de  Bourbon,  whom  his  soldiers  carried  after  his  death 
to  the  house  of  an  artist,  that  the  latter  might  make  a 
portrait  of  him,  erect  and  fully  armed,  as  he  had  appeared 
in  life. 


252  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Anne  de  Moutmorency  was  the  head  of  that  old  house 
of  Christian  barons,  or  Barons  of  France,  as  their  title 
was,  descended  from  Bouchard  de  Moutmorency,  which 
has  given  to  the  kingdom  ten  constables. 

His  name  and  his  titles  were  as  follows :  Anne  de 
Montmorency,  Duke,  Marshal,  Grand  Master,  Constable, 
and  First  Baron  of  France,  Chevalier  de  St.  Michel  and 
de  la  Jarretiere ;  Captain  of  one  hundred  of  the  king's 
orderlies ;  Governor  and  Lieutenant-General  of  the  Lan- 
guedoc ;  Comte  de  Beaumont,  Dammartin,  de  la  Fere-en- 
Tardenois,  and  Chateaubriant ;  Vicomte  de  Meluu  and 
Moutreuil ;  Baron  d'Amville,  de  Preaux,  de  Montbron, 
d'Offemont,  de  Mello,  de  Chateauneuf,  de  la  Rochepot, 
de  Dangu,  de  Meru,  de  Thore,  de  Savoisy,  de  Gourville, 
de  Derval,  de  Chanceaux,  de  Rouge,  d'Aspremont,  and  de 
Mainteuay ;  Seigneur  d'Ecouen,  de  Chantilly,  de  1'Isle- 
Adam,  de  Conflans-Sainte-Honorine,  de  Nogent,  de  Val- 
mondois,  de  Compiegue,  de  Gandelu,  de  Marigny,  and  de 
Thourout. 

As  is  seen  by  this  catalogue  of  titles,  the  king  might 
be  king  in  Paris,  but  Moutmorency  was  duke,  count, 
baron,  all  about  Paris ;  so  that  the  dignity  of  royalty 
seemed  to  be  confined  to  his  duchies,  earldoms,  and 
baronies. 

Born  in  1493,  he  was  at  the  time  of  which  we  write 
an  old  man  sixty-four  years  old,  who,  although  he  looked 
his  age,  possessed  the  strength  and  vigor  of  a  man  of 
thirty.  Violent  and  brutal,  he  had  all  the  rougher  quali- 
ties of  the  soldier,  —  blind  courage,  thoughtlessness  of 
danger,  and  insensibility  to  fatigue,  hunger,  and  thirst. 
Full  of  pride,  puffed  up  with  vanity,  he  acknowledged 
himself  inferior  only  to  the  Due  de  Guise,  —  or  rather  to 
his  rank  as  Prince  de  Lorraine ;  for  as  a  general  and 
commander  of  expeditions,  he  considered  himself  im- 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  253 

mensely  superior  to  the  defender  of  Metz  and  conqueror 
at  Renty.  For  him  Henri  II.  was  only  the  little  master ; 
Fraii9ois  I.  had  been  the  great  master,  and  he  would  ac- 
knowledge no  other.  An  uncommon  courtier,  headstrong 
in  his  ambition  for  power,  he  obtained  by  rebuffs  and 
brutalities  advantages  for  the  increase  of  his  fortune  and 
power  which  another  would  have  gained  by  complaisance 
and  kindness.  Diane  de  Valentinois,  too,  helped  him 
very  much  in  some  cases  where,  but  for  her,  he  would 
have  failed ;  coming  after  him  with  her  gentle  voice,  her 
sweet  smile,  and  pleasant  face,  she  set  to  rights  every- 
thing which  the  limitless  anger  of  the  soldier  had  put  in 
confusion.  He  had  already  been  engaged  in  four  great 
battles,  and  in  each  one  he  had  performed  the  labor  of  a 
vigorous  man-at-arms,  but  in  none  of  them  had  he  distin- 
guished himself  as  an  intelligent  leader. 

These  four  battles  were  as  follows :  First,  that  which 
took  place  at  Ravenna ;  he  was  then  eighteen  years  old, 
and  followed,  for  his  own  pleasure  and  as  volunteer,  what 
was  called  the  general  standard, — or,  in  other  words,  the 
standard  of  the  volunteers.  The  second  battle  was  that 
of  Marignano ;  there  he  commanded  a  company  of  one 
hundred  men-at-arms,  and  he  might  have  been  able  to 
boast  that  his  hand  had  dealt  the  most  vigorous  sword- 
thrusts  and  sledge-hammer  blows  if  there  had  not  been 
by  his  side,  and  often  in  advance  of  him,  his  great  master 
Fran9ois  I.,  that  hundred-handed  giant,  who  might  have 
made  a  conquest  of  the  world,  if  that  conquest  had  de- 
volved upon  him  who  should  strike  most  vigorously  and 
with  the  greatest  rapidity.  The  third  was  the  battle  of 
La  Bicoque,  where  he  was  colonel  of  the  Guards ;  he 
there  fought  hand  to  hand,  and  was  left  for  dead  on  the 
battle-field.  Finally,  the  fourth  was  the  battle  of  Pavia. 
He  had  at  that  time  become  marshal  of  France,  through 


254  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  death  of  Monsieur  de  Chatillon,  his  brother-in-law. 
Expecting  that  the  battle  would  take  place  the  next  day, 
he  had  set  out  in  the  night  to  reconnoitre ;  at  the  sound 
of  the  cannon  he  had  returned  to  camp,  and  was  taken 
prisoner  "  like  all  the  rest,"  says  Brantome ;  and  indeed 
at  this  calamitous  defeat  of  Pavia  everybody  was  taken 
prisoner,  even  the  king. 

Quite  in  contrast  with  Monsieur  de  Guise,  who  had 
great  sympathy  with  the  middle  and  professional  classes, 
the  constable  detested  the  common  people  and  execrated 
lawyers.  He  lost  no  opportunity  of  snubbing  both. 
For  instance,  one  very  warm  day,  TV  hen  a  judge  had 
come  to  confer  with  him  in  regard  to  the  duties  of  his 
office,  Monsieur  de  Montmorency  received  him  with  his 
hat  in  hand,  and  said,  — 

"  Come,  Monsieur  le  Juge,  say  quickly  what  you  have 
to  tell  me,  —  and  put  on  your  hat." 

The  judge,  thinking  that  it  was  out  of  respect  for 
him  that  Montmorency  kept  his  head  uncovered,  replied, 
"  Monsieur,  I  will  not  put  on  my  hat  while  you  yourself 
remain  with  bare  head." 

The  constable  thereupon  exclaimed  :  "  What  a  great 
fool  you  are,  Monsieur!  Do  you  think,  perchance,  that 
I  remain  uncovered  for  love  of  you  ?  Not  at  all,  but  for 
my  own  comfort,  my  friend,  and  lest  I  die  of  heat.  I 
am  listening ;  go  on." 

The  president,  quite  abashed,  could  only  stammer  in 
reply  ;  and  Monsieur  de  Montmorency  interrupted  him 
with  :  "  You  are  an  idiot,  Monsieur  le  Juge  !  Go  home, 
learn  your  lesson,  and  when  you  know  it  come  back  to 
me ;  but  not  before."  And  he  turned  on  his  heel. 

The  inhabitants  of  Bordeaux  had  revolted ;  and  after 
they  had  killed  their  governor,  the  constable  was  sent 
against  them.  When  they  were  informed  that  he  was 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  255 

coming,  fearing  that  the  reprisals  would  be  heavy,  they 
went  to  meet  him  the  distance  of  two  days'  journey, 
carrying  to  him  the  keys  of  the  city. 

But  he,  who  was  ou  horseback  and  fully  armed,  said  : 
"  Gentlemen  of  Bordeaux,  begone  with  your  keys ;  I  do 
not  want  them."  And  pointing  to  his  cannon,  he  con- 
tinued :  "  See  what  I  bring  with  me  ;  these  guns  will 
make  an  overture  quite  different  from  yours —  Ah!  I 
will  teach  you  to  rebel  against  the  king  and  kill  his  gov- 
ernor and  his  lieutenant.  Understand  that  I  will  have 
you  hanged  !  "  And  he  kept  his  word. 

At  Bordeaux,  Monsieur  de  Strozzi,  who  had  passed 
his  men  in  review  before  the  constable  the  day  before, 
came  to  pay  his  respects  to  him,  although  he  was  a 
relative  of  the  queen.  When  Monsieur  de  Montmo- 
rency  perceived  him,  he  exclaimed :  "  Ah,  good-day, 
Strozzi  !  Your  men  did  wonderfully  well  yesterday,  and 
were  truly  worth  seeing ;  they  shall  have  some  money 
to-day,  I  have  commanded  it." 

"  Thanks,  Monsieur  le  Connctable,"  replied  Monsieur  de 
Strozzi  ;  "  I  am  very  glad  that  you  are  satisfied  with 
them,  for  I  have  a  petition  to  offer  you  from  them." 

"  What  is  it,  Strozzi  ?    Speak !  " 

"Wood  is  very  dear  in  this'  city,  and  they  cannot 
afford  to  buy  as  much  as  they  need,  considering  the 
severe  cold  ;  they  entreat  you  to  give  them  a  vessel 
called  the  '  Montreal,'  lying  on  the  strand,  which  is  worth 
nothing,  to  break  up  for  firewood." 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  am  willing."  said  the  constable;  "let 
them  go  right  away,  taking  with  them  their  camp-boys, 
and  break  it  up  for  firewood." 

But  while  he  was  at  dinner,  the  aldermen  of  the  city 
and  the  councillors  of  the  court  came  to  him  to  protest 
against  the  destruction  of  the  vessel.  Whether  MOD- 


256  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

sieur  de  Strozzi  had  seen  incorrectly,  or  had  relied  on  the 
reports  of  his  soldiers,  or  was  unable  to  distinguish  an  old 
vessel  from  a  new  one,  —  the  vessel  which  he  had  ordered 
the  soldiers  to  break  up  for  firewood  was  still  in  con- 
dition for  long  and  useful  service.  So  these  worthy 
magistrates  had  come  to  represent  to  the  constable  how 
great  a  loss  would  be  incurred  by  the  destruction  of 
this  fine  vessel,  which  had  made  but  two  or  three 
voyages,  and  whose  capacity  measured  three  hundred 
tons. 

But  the  constable,  in  his  ordinary  tone,  interrupted 
them  almost  as  soon  as  they  had  begun  :  "  Well,  well, 
well  !  Who  are  you,  fools,  to  presume  to  censure  me1? 
Yet  you  are  a  clever  set  of  idiots  to  be  so  bold  as  to 
remonstrate  with  me.  If  I  should  do  the  right  thing,  — 
and  what  is  there  to  prevent  ]  —  I  should  send  the  sol- 
diers to  demolish  your  houses  instead  of  the  vessel ;  and 
that  is  what  I  will  do,  if  you  do  not  quickly  take  to  your 
heels.  Go  home  and  attend  to  your  own  affairs,  and  let 
mine  alone."  And  on  that  very  day  the  vessel  was 
broken  up. 

During  the  reign  of  peace  the  constable  poured  out 
his  most  violent  wrath  upon  the  ministei*s  of  the  re- 
formed religion,  against  whom  he  cherished  a  fierce  hatred. 
One  of  his  diversions  was  to  go  into  the  temples  in  Paris 
and  drive  them  from  the  pulpit ;  and  once  when  he  had 
learned  from  the  king  that  with  the  king's  permission 
they  were  holding  a  council,  he  hastened  to  Popincourt, 
forced  his  way  into  the  assembly,  overturned  the  pulpit, 
broke  up  all  the  benches  and  set  them  on  fire;  on 
account  of  which  expedition  he  was  surnamed  Captain 
Brule-Bancs. 

And  all  these  brutalities  the  constable  committed 
while  mumbling  prayers,  especially  the  Lord's  Prayer, 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  257 

which  he  most  frequently  repeated,  and  which  he  inter- 
larded in  the  most  grotesque  manner  with  his  barbarous 
and  irrevocable  commands. 

Therefore  it  boded  ill  when  he  began  to  mumble  his 
prayer.  "Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,"  he  said, — 
';Go,  catch  me  such  a  one  !  —  hallowed  be  thy  name  — 
Hang  me  that  fellow  to  that  tree  !  —  Thy  kingdom  come 
—  Run  that  other  one  through  with  a  pike  !  —  thy  will 
be  done  —  Shoot  those  rascals  there  in  front  of  me  !  — 
upon  the  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven  !  —  Cut  in  pieces  those 
marauders  for  me,  who  tried  to  hold  this  tower  against 
the  king! — Give  us  each  day  our  daily  bread — Burn 
me  this  village  !  —  Forgive  us  our  sins  as  we  forgive 
those  who  have  trespassed  against  us  —  Set  tire  to  every 
corner,  and  let  not  a  house  escape !  —  and  lead  us  not 
into  temptation  —  If  the  villains  cry  out,  throw  them  into 
the  fire!  —  but  deliver  us  from  evil.  Amen!" 

This  was  called  the  constable's  Pater-noster. 

Such  was  the  man  whom,  on  entering  his  cabinet, 
King  Henri  II.  found  seated  opposite  the  refined,  intel- 
lectual, aristocratic  Cardinal  de  Lorraine,  the  most  cour- 
teous churchman,  and  the  ablest  political  prelate  of  his 
time. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  the  antagonism  between  these 
two  natures  so  absolutely  opposite,  and  the  disturbance 
these  ambitious  rivals  might  cause  in  the  State,  —  espe- 
cially since  the  family  of  Montmoreucy  was  scarcely  less 
numerous  than  the  family  of  Guise,  the  constable  having 
had  by  his  wife,  Madame  de  Savoy,  daughter  of  Monsieur 
Roue1,  Bastard  of  Savoy  and  Grand  Master  of  France,  five 
sons  —  Messieurs  de  Montmorency,  d'Amville,  de  Meru, 
de  Montbron,  and  de  There"  —  and  five  daughters,  four 
of  whom  were  married,  respectively,  to  Messieurs  de  la 
Tre'mouille,  de  Turenne,  de  Ventadour,  and  de  Caudale  ; 
VOL.  i  — 17 


258  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

arid  of  whom  the  fifth,  the  most  beautiful  of  all,  became 
the  Abbess  of  St.  Pierre  at  Rheims. 

Now,  it  was  necessary  to  establish  this  numerous  fam- 
ily, and  the  constable  was  anxiously  planning  for  this 
establishment  when  the  king  arrived. 

Every  one  arose  and  uncovered  on  perceiving  Henri. 

The  king  saluted  Montmorency  with  a  friendly  and 
almost  soldier-like  gesture,  while  he  turned  to  Charles  de 
Lorraine  with  a  deferential  bow. 

"I  have  summoned  you,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "in  or- 
der to  consult  you  on  a  serious  matter.  Monsieur  de 
Nemours  has  arrived  from  Italy,  where  our  affairs  are  in 
a  wretched  condition,  in  consequence  of  the  pope's  failure 
to  keep  his  word  and  the  treachery  of  most  of  our  allies. 
At  first,  everything  progressed  wonderfully  well.  Mon- 
sieur de  Strozzi  had  taken  Ostia,  although  it  is  true 
that  we  had  lost  in  the  trenches  of  the  city  Monsieur  de 
Montluc,  —  a  brave  and  worthy  man,  gentlemen,  for  whose 
soul  I  ask  your  prayers.  Then  the  Duke  of  Alva,  know- 
ing of  the  approach  of  your  illustrious  brother,  my  dear 
Cardinal,  withdrew  to  Naples.  All  the  places  in  the 
vicinity  of  Rome,  consequently,  had  been  successively 
occupied  by  us.  Indeed,  after  crossing  the  Milanese,  the 
duke  advanced  toward  Reggio,  where  his  father-in-law, 
the  Duke  of  Ferrara,  awaited  him  with  six  thousand  in- 
fantry and  eight  hundred  horse.  There  a  consultation 
was  held  between  the  Cardinal  Caraffa  and  Jean  de  Lo- 
deve,  the  king's  ambassador.  It  was  thought  by  some 
that  either  Cremona  or  Pavia  should  be  attacked,  while 
the  Marechal  de  Brissac  should  divert  the  enemy ;  others 
were  of  the  opinion  that  before  they  should  have  time  to 
seize  upon  these  two  places,  which  are  the  best  fortified 
in  Italy,  the  Duke  of  Alva  would  have  doubled  his  army 
by  levying  troops  in  Tuscany  and  in  the  kingdom  of 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  259 

Naples.  Cardinal  Caraffa  had  another  plan  ;  he  pro- 
posed to  enter  the  military  frontier  of  Ancona  through 
Terra  di  Lavoro,  every  part  of  which  was  poorly  fortified, 
and  would  yield  to  the  first  attack.  But  the  Duke  of 
Ferrara  objected  that  the  defence  of  the  Holy  See  being 
the  principal  object  of  the  campaign,  the  Due  de  Guise 
should  march  straight  to  Rome.  The  Due  de  Guise  de- 
cided in  favor  of  this  last  course,  and  wished  to  take 
with  him  the  Duke  of  Ferrara's  six  thousand  infantry 
and  eight  hundred  horse ;  but  the  latter  retained  them, 
saying  that  he  might  be  attacked  at  any  moment  either 
by  the  Grand  Duke  Cosimo  de'  Medici  or  by  the  Duke  of 
Parma. 

"  Monsieur  le  Due  de  Guise,  gentlemen,  was  therefore 
obliged  to  continue  his  course  with  the  small  number  of 
troops  which  already  accompanied  him,  depending  only 
on  the  reinforcement  which,  according  to  Cardinal  Caraffa, 
was  waiting  at  Bologna  to  join  the  French  army.  Hav- 
ing arrived  at  Bologna  with  Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  his 
nephew,  the  duke  sought  in  vain  for  the  reinforcement. 
There  was  none.  Your  brother,  my  dear  Cardinal,"  con- 
tinued the  king,  "  did  not  conceal  his  dissatisfaction  ; 
but  he  was  promised  that  on  reaching  the  neighborhood 
of  Ancona  he  would  find  ten  thousand  fresh  troops  levied 
by  the-  pope.  The  duke  trusted  to  this  promise,  and 
continued  his  way  through  Romagna.  No  reinforcement 
awaited  him  there ;  he  left  our  army  there  in  charge  of 
the  Due  d'Aumale,  and  proceeded  directly  to  Rome  to 
learn  from  the  pope  himself  upon  what  he  might  rely. 
The  pope,  thus  brought  to  the  point  by  Monsieur  de  Guise, 
replied  that  he  had  a  contingent  of  twenty -four  thou- 
sand men  for  this  war,  but  that  among  these  twenty-four 
thousand  men  were  included  the  men-at-arms  guarding 
the  strongholds  of  the  Church.  Now,  eighteen  thousand 


260  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

papal  soldiers  distributed  about  in  different  places  were 
occupied  in  this  service.  Monsieur  de  Guise  saw  that  he 
could  rely  only  on  those  men  he  had  brought  with 
him;  but,  according  to  the  pope,  these  men  would  be 
sufficient,  the  French  having  heretofore  failed  in  their 
attacks  upon  Naples  only  because  the  pope  was  opposed 
to  them.  But  now,  instead  of  being  opposed  to  the 
French,  he  was  on  their  side  ;  and  thanks  to  this  co- 
operation, only  moral  and  spiritual  though  it  was,  the 
French  could  not  fail  to  succeed.  Monsieur  de  Guise, 
my  dear  Constable,"  continued  Henri,  "is  a  little  like 
you  in  this  respect ;  he  is  never  distrustful  of  fortune  so 
long  as  he  has  his  good  sword  by  his  side  and  a  few 
thousand  brave  men  to  follow  him.  He  sent  in  haste  for 
his  army,  and  when  it  had  rejoined  him  he  set  out  for 
Rome,  attacked  Campli,  took  the  city  by  assault,  and  put 
to  the  edge  of  the  sword  men,  women,  and  children." 

The  constable  received  the  account  of  this  achievement 
with  the  first  visible  sign  of  approbation  he  had  given. 

The  cardinal  remained  unmoved. 

"  From  Campli,"  continued  the  king,  "  the  duke  went 
to  lay  siege  to  Civitella,  which  is  built,  as  it  appears, 
upon  a  steep  hill,  and  is  protected  by  strong  fortifications. 
He  began  by  an  attack  on  the  fortress ;  but  our  army, 
with  its  usual  impatience,  was  eager  for  an  assault.  Un- 
fortunately, the  place  selected  for  this  purpose  was  de- 
fended on  all  sides  by  bastions ;  the  consequence  was  that 
our  men  were  driven  back,  with  a  loss  of  two  hundred 
killed  and  three  hundred  wounded." 

A  pleased  smile  flickered  on  the  lips  of  the  constable ; 
the  invincible  had  failed  before  a  paltry  fortress  ! 

"  Meanwhile,"  pursued  the  king,  "  the  Duke  of  Alva, 
having  collected  his  troops  at  Chieti,  marched  to  the  aid 
of  the  besieged  with  an  army  of  three  thousand  Span- 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  261 

iards,  six  thousand  Germans,  three  thousand  Italians,  and 
three  hundred  Calabrians.  This  army  was  more  than 
twice  as  large  as  that  commanded  by  the  Due  de  Guise, 
—  a  fact  which  determined  the  duke  to  raise  the  siege, 
and  go  to  await  the  enemy  in  the  open  country  between 
Fermo  and  Ascoli.  He  hoped  that  the  Duke  of  Alva 
would  accept  his  offer  of  battle ;  but  the  Duke  of  Alva, 
sure  that  we  shall  suffer  loss  if  left  to  ourselves,  con- 
tinues to  hold  aloof,  and  accepts  neither  encounter, 
combat,  nor  battle,  or  accepts  them  in  positions  which 
afford  us  no  chance  of  success.  In  this  situation,  with- 
out hope  of  obtaining  from  the  pope  either  men  or 
money,  Monsieur  de  Guise  sends  me  Monsieur  le  Due  de 
Nemours  to  ask  me  either  for  large  reinforcements  or  for 
permission  to  leave  Italy  and  return  home.  What  is 
your  opinion,  gentlemen  ?  Shall  we  make  a  final  effort 
and  send  to  our  dear  Due  de  Guise  the  men  and  money 
which  he  absolutely  needs,  or  shall  we  recall  him  and  by 
so  doing  renounce  all  claim  to  the  possession  of  that 
beautiful  Kingdom  of  Naples,  which,  on  the  promise  of 
the  pope,  I  had  already  designed  for  my  son  Charles  ? " 

The  constable  signified  by  a  gesture  that  he  had  some- 
thing to  say,  at  the  same  time  indicating  his  readiness  to 
give  precedence  to  the  Cardinal  de  Lorraine ;  but  the 
latter  by  a  slight  movement  of  the  head  gave  him  to  un- 
derstand that  he  was  free  to  speak.  It  was  the  cardinal's 
habitual  practice  to  let  his  adversary  speak  first. 

"  Sire,"  said  the  constable,  "  it  is  my  opinion  that 
an  affair  so  well  begun  should  not  be  abandoned,  and 
that  your  Majesty  should  make  every  effort  to  sustain  in 
Italy  your  army  and  your  general." 

"  And  you,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal  1 "  said  the  king. 

"I,"  said  Charles  de  Lorraine,  "ask  the  constable's 
pardon,  but  I  am  of  a  very  different  opinion." 


262  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"That  does  not  surprise  me,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal," 
replied  the  constable,  with  acrimony ;  "  it  would  be  the 
first  time  that  we  were  agreed.  So  in  your  opinion, 
Monsieur,  your  brother  should  be  recalled  ? " 

"  I  think  it  would  be  good  policy  to  recall  him." 

"  Alone,  or  accompanied  by  his  army  ? "  asked  the 
constable. 

"  With  his  army,  even  to  the  last  man  !  " 

"  And  why  ?  Do  you  think  the  highways  are  not 
sufficiently  infested  with  bandits  1  For  my  part,  I  think 
they  are  abundant." 

"  The  highways  are  perhaps  sufficiently  infested  with 
robbers,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  —  they  are  perhaps  abun- 
dant, as  you  say ;  but  brave  soldiers  and  great  captains 
are  not  abundant." 

"  You  forget,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  that  this  is  a 
period  of  universal  peace,  and  that  in  such  times  of  peace 
we  do  not  need  valiant  conquerors." 

"  I  beg  your  Majesty,"  said  the  cardinal,  addressing 
the  king,  "  to  ask  Monsieur  le  Connetable  if  he  seriously 
believes  in  the  duration  of  this  time  of  peace." 

"Morbleuf  if  I  believe  in  it!  "  said  the  constable, — 
"  a  pretty  question  !  " 

"  Well,  I,  Sire,"  said  the  cardinal,  "  not  only  do  not 
believe  in  it,  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  if  your 
Majesty  does  not  wish  the  King  of  Spain  to  have  the 
glory  of  attacking  us,  we  must  hasten  to  attack  the  King 
of  Spain." 

"  In  spite  of  the  truce  solemnly  sworn  1 "  exclaimed 
the  constable,  with  an  earnestness  which  had  the  appear- 
ance of  being  genuine.  "  Do  you  forget,  Monsieur  le 
Cardinal,  that  it  is  a  duty  to  keep  an  oath,  that  the 
king's  word  should  be  more  inviolable  than  that  of 
any  other  person,  and  that  France  never  broke  her 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  263 

oath  of  fidelity,  even  in  regard  to  the  Turks  and 
Saracens  ? " 

"  But  in  that  case,"  demanded  the  cardinal,  "  how  did 
it  happen  that  your  nephew  Monsieur  de  Chatillon,  in- 
stead of  quietly  attending  to  his  own  affairs  in  Picardy, 
made  an  attempt  to  surprise  and  escalade  Douai,  in 
which  he  would  have  succeeded  had  it  not  been  for  an 
old  woman  who  happened  to  pass  near  the  place  where 
the  ladders  were  placed,  and  who  gave  the  alarm  to  the 
sentinels  1 " 

"  Why  did  my  nephew  do  that  ?  "  exclaimed  the  con- 
stable, falling  into  the  trap.  "I  will  tell  you  why  he 
did  that." 

"  We  are  listening,"  said  the  cardinal.  Then  turning 
to  the  king,  he  said  with  significance,  "  Listen,  Sire !  " 

"  Oh,  his  Majesty  knows  as  well  as  T,  mordieu  !  "  said 
the  constable  ;  "  for  occupied  as  he  seems  to  be  with  his 
love  affairs,  understand,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  that  we  do 
not  leave  the  king  in  ignorance  of  the  affairs  of  State." 

"We  are  listening,  Monsieur  le  Conne'table,"  replied 
the  cardinal,  coldly.  "  You  were  about  to  tell  us  what 
reason  Monsieur  1'Amiral  had  for  his  attack  upon 
Douai." 

"  What  reason  !  I  will  tell  you  ten  of  them,  and  not 
one  only,  mordieu  !  " 

"  Go  on,  Monsieur  le  Connetable." 

"  In  the  first  place,"  replied  the  latter,  "  the  attempt 
which  Monsieur  le  Megue,  Governor  of  Luxembourg, 
himself  made,  through  the  instrumentality  of  his  house- 
steward,  who  bribed  for  one  thousand  crowns  cash  and 
the  promise  of  a  pension  of  an  equal  sum  three  soldiers  of 
the  garrison  of  Metz,  who  were  to  deliver  up  the  city." 

"  Which  my  brother  so  gloriously  defended  !  "  said  the 
cardinal.  "  We  have  heard  that  attempt  spoken  of,  which, 


264  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

like  that  of  your  nephew  the  admiral,  fortunately  failed. 
But  that  is  only  one  reason,  and  you  promised  us  ten, 
Monsieur  le  Connetable." 

"  Oh,  wait  !  Do  you  not  know,  also,  Monsieur  le  Car- 
dinal, that  this  same  Comte  de  Megue  had  bribed  a  Pro- 
vengal  soldier  of  the  garrison  of  Marienbourg,  who  in 
consideration  of  a  large  sum  of  money  engaged  to  poison 
all  the  wells  in  the  place,  and  that  the  project  failed 
only  because  the  count,  fearing  that  one  man  would  not 
be  sufficient  for  the  undertaking,  applied  to  others,  who 
divulged  the  secret  of  the  plot  ?  Mordieu  !  you  cannot 
say  the  story  is  false,  Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  since  the 
soldier  was  put  to  the  rack." 

"  That  reasoning  would  not  be  quite  sufficient  to  con- 
vince me ;  you  have  in  your  day,  Monsieur  le  Connetable, 
put  to  the  rack  and  hanged  not  a  few  persons  whom  I 
consider  to  be  as  innocent  and  as  truly  martyrs  as  those 
who  were  put  to  death  in  the  circus  by  those  pagan 
emperors  called  Nero,  Commodus,  and  Domitian." 

"  Mordieu  !  Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  you  deny,  perhaps, 
that  project  of  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Megue  to  poisou 
the  wells  of  Marie ubourg  1" 

"  On  the  contrary,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  I  have  told 
you  that  I  admit  it.  But  you  have  promised  to  give  us 
ten  reasons  for  the  project  of  Monsieur,  your  nephew, 
and  we  have  heard  only  two  of  them." 

"You  shall  have  them,  mordieu!  you  shall  have  them  ! 
Perhaps  you  do  not  know,  for  instance,  that  Monsieur  le 
Comte  de  Berlaimont,  treasurer  of  Flanders,  had  formed, 
jointly  with  two  Gascon  soldiers,  a  conspiracy,  in  which 
the  latter,  aided  by  Sieur  de  Veze,  captain  of  a  company 
of  foot  soldiers,  engaged  to  deliver  up  to  the  King  of 
Spain  the  city  of  Bordeaux,  provided  they  were  backed 
by  five  or  six  hundred  men  ?  Just  deny  this  conspiracy 


CONSTABLE  AND  CARDINAL.  265 

of  the  Catholic  king,  and  I  will  answer  that  one  of  those 
two  soldiers,  arrested  near  St.  Quentin  by  the  governor 
of  the  place,  has  confessed  everything,  even  that  he  had 
received  the  reward  promised  in  the  presence  of  Antoine 
Perrenot,  Bishop  of  Arras.  Come,  mordieu!  deny  it, 
Monsieur  le  Cardinal,  deny  it !  " 

"  I  will  take  good  care  not  to  do  that,"  said  the  cardi- 
nal, smiling,  "  since  it  is  indeed  the  truth,  Monsieur  le 
Connetable,  and  since  I  do  not  wish  to  trifle  away  the 
salvation  of  uiy  soul  by  so  great  a  falsehood;  but  this 
makes,  on  the  part  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Spain, 
only  three  violations  of  the  treaty  of  Vaucelles,  and  you 
have  promised  us  ten." 

"  Yet  once  more  I  tell  you  you  shall  have  your  ten, 
mordieu  !  and,  if  necessary,  you  shall  have  even  a  dozen  ! 
Ah  !  for  example,  was  not  Maitre  Jacques  la  Fleche,  one 
of  the  best  engineers  of  King  Philip  II.,  arrested  while 
taking  soundings  in  the  shallow  places  of  the  river  Oise, 
and  taken  to  La  Fere,  where  he  confessed  that  the  Duke 
of  Savoy,  Emmanuel  Philibert,  had  hired  him,  with 
money  furnished  by  Monsieur  de  Berlaimont,  to  draw 
plans  of  Montreuil,  Roye,  Doulens,  St.  Quentin,  Mezieres, 
and  other  places  which  the  Spaniards  wanted  to  capture, 
in  order  to  control  Boulogne  and  Ardres,  and  cut  off 
Marienbourg  from  supplies  1 " 

"  That  is  perfectly  true,  Monsieur  le  Connetable ;  but 
we  are  a  long  way  from  our  ten." 

"  Eh,  mordieu  /  do  I  need  to  give  you  ten  reasons  to 
show  that  in  reality  the  truce  is  already  broken  on  the 
part  of  Spain,  and  that  if  my  nephew  the  admiral  did 
make  a  descent  upon  Douai,  he  was  perfectly  right  in 
doing  so  1 " 

"  And  I  had  no  intention  of  inducing  you  to  say  any- 
thing further,  Monsieur  le  Coune'table  ;  these  four  proofs 


266  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

are  quite  sufficient  to  convince  me  that  the  truce  has 
been  broken  by  Philip  II.  Now,  since  the  truce  has 
been  broken,  not  once,  but  four  times,  it  is  Philip  II., 
King  of  Spain,  who  has  failed  to  keep  his  pledge,  and  the 
King  of  France  is  justified  in  recalling  from  Italy  his 
army  and  his  general,  and  in  preparing  for  war." 

The  constable  bit  his  light  mustaches ;  the  cunning  of 
his  adversary  had  trapped  him  into  admitting  just  the 
opposite  of  what  he  meant  to  say. 

The  cardinal  had  hardly  ceased  speaking,  and  the  con- 
stable biting  his  mustaches,  when  a  trumpet,  sounding 
a  foreign  air,  was  heard  in  the  courtyard  of  the  chateau 
of  St.  Germain. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  "  said  the  king,  "  who  is  that  disagreeable 
joker  of  a  page,  who  comes  to  torture  my  ears  with  an 
English  air  ]  Go  and  inquire,  Monsieur  de  1'Aubespine, 
and  give  the  little  fool  a  good  flogging  for  this  jesting." 

Monsieur  de  1'Aubespine  went  to  execute  the  king's 
orders,  but  returned  in  about  five  minutes,  saying,  — 

"Sire,  it  is  neither  page  nor  squire  nor  huntsman 
who  performed  the  air  in  question ;  it  is  a  real  English 
trumpet  which  announces  a  herald  sent  by  your  cousin 
Queen  Mary." 

Monsieur  de  1'Aubespine  had  scarcely  finished  these 
words  when  another  air  was  heard  which  they  recognized 
as  Spanish. 

"  Ah,  ah  !  "  said  the  king,  "  the  husband  follows  the 
wife,  as  it  seems." 

Then,  with  that  dignity  which  on  occasion  all  the  old 
kings  of  France  knew  so  well  how  to  assume,  "  Gentle- 
men," he  said,  "let  us  withdraw  to  the  throne-room. 
Assemble  your  officers  ;  I  will  call  together  the  court. 
Whatever  may  be  the  intelligence  from  our  cousins  Mary 
and  Philip,  we  must  do  honor  to  their  messengers." 


WAR.  267 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WAR. 

THE  combined  notes  of  the  English  and  Spanish  trum- 
pets, like  a  double  echo  from  the  North  and  from  the 
South,  had  been  heard  not  only  in  the  council-chamber 
but  throughout  the  palace.  The  king  found  the  court 
already  informed  of  the  new  arrival ;  the  ladies  were  at 
the  windows,  gazing  curiously  at  the  two  heralds  and 
their  suite. 

At  the  door  of  the  council-chamber  the  constable  was  met 
by  a  young  officer  whom  his  nephew  the  admiral  had  sent, 
—  he  who,  as  we  have  seen,  visited  the  Emperor  Charles 
V.  on  the  evening  of  his  abdication.  The  admiral  was, 
as  already  mentioned,  Governor  of  Picardy  ;  he  therefore, 
in  case  of  an  invasion,  would  be  especially  exposed  to 
attack. 

"  Ah,  is  it  you,  Theligny  ? " l  said  the  constable,  in  a 
low  tone. 

"  Yes,  Monseigneur,"  replied  the  young  officer. 

"  And  you  bring  me  news  from  the  admiral  ? " 

"  Yes,  Monseigneur." 

"  You  have  seen  no  one,  and  have  told  no  one  ? " 

"  This  intelligence  is  for  the  king,  Monseigneur,"  re- 
plied the  young  officer ;  "  but  I  am  instructed  to  commu- 
nicate it  to  you  first." 

1  This  Theligny  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  admiral's  son- 
in-law,  who  waa  killed  on  St.  Bartholomew's  Day. 


268  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Very  well,  follow  me,"  said  the  constable. 

And  as  the  Cardinal  de  Lorraine  had  taken  the  Due 
de  Nemours  to  the  apartment  of  Catherine  de'  Medici,  so 
the  constable  conducted  Monsieur  de  Theligny  to  that  of 
the  Duchesse  de  Valentinois. 

Meanwhile  the  court  had  assembled  in  the  throne-room. 
The  king  sat  upon  the  throne,  with  the  queen  at  his  right ; 
upon  the  steps  of  the  throne  stood  the  officers  of  the 
crown,  while  upon  chairs  around  the  throne  were  seated 
Mesdames  Marguerite  and  Elisabeth  of  France,  Mary 
Stuart,  the  Duchesse  de  Valentinois,  the  four  Marys,  — 
in  short,  all  the  members  of  the  brilliant  court  of  the 
Valois.  The  king  gave  orders  to  introduce  the  English 
herald. 

Long  before  he  appeared,  the  sound  of  his  spurs  and 
of  those  of  the  men-at-arms  who  formed  his  escort  could 
be  heard  as  they  drew  nearer ;  then  at  last  he  crossed 
the  threshold,  dressed  in  a  tunic  emblazoned  with  the 
arms  of  England  and  France,  and  advanced  without  un- 
covering his  head  until  within  a  few  steps  of  the  king's 
throne.  Then  he  bared  his  head,  and  kneeling  on  one 
knee  spoke  in  a  loud  voice  the  following  words  :  — 

"Mary,  Queen  of  England,  Ireland,  and  France,  to 
Henri,  King  of  France,  greeting !  Inasmuch  as  you  have 
held  relations  of  friendship  with  the  English  Protestants, 
enemies  of  our  person,  our  religion,  and  our 'government, 
and  have  afforded  them  succor  and  protection  against  our 
just  pursuit  of  them,  we,  William  Norry,  herald  of  the 
crown  of  England,  declare  war  against  you  by  sea  and 
land,  and  in  token  of  defiance  throw  down  before  you  the 
gauntlet."  And  the  herald  hurled  his  iron  gauntlet  upon 
the  floor  at  the  feet  of  the  king. 

"  It  is  well,"  replied  the  king,  without  rising.  "  I  ac- 
cept this  declaration  of  war;  but  I  wish  all  the  world  to 


WAR.  269 

kuow  that  I  have  kept  faith  with  your  queen,  —  a  duty  I 
owed  to  the  pleasant  friendship  we  have  always  entertained 
for  each  other ;  but  since  she  attacks  France  so  unjustly,  I 
pray  God  that  she  shall  have  no  better  success  than  her 
ancestors  had  when  they  fought  mine.  I  address  you 
thus  quietly  and  civilly  because  it  is  a  queen  who  sends 
you ;  if  it  had  been  a  king,  I  should  have  used  a  very 
different  tone." 

And  turning  to  Mary  Stuart,  "  My  gentle  Queen  of 
Scotland,"  he  said,  "  since  you  as  well  as  I  are  concerned 
in  this  war,  and  since  you  have  as  much  right  to  the 
crown  of  England  as  our  sister  Mary  has  to  that  of  France, 
I  beg  you  to  pick  up  this  gauntlet,  and  present  to  the 
brave  Sir  William  Norry  the  gold  chain  which  you  wear 
about  your  neck,  which  my  dear  Duchesse  de  Valentinois 
will  gladly  replace  with  her  necklace  of  pearls ;  and  I 
promise  that  she  shall  not  lose  by  so  doing.  Come  !  — 
a  woman's  hand  must  pick  up  a  woman's  gauntlet." 

Mary  Stuart  rose,  and  with  exquisite  grace  took  the 
chain  from  her  beautiful  neck  and  threw  it  around  that 
of  the  herald ;  then  with  that  proud  look  which  suited 
her  face  so  well,  "  I  pick  up  this  gauntlet,"  she  said,  "  not 
only  in  the  name  of  France,  but  also  in  that  of  Scotland. 
Herald,  tell  this  to  our  sister  Mary." 

The  herald  arose,  and  bowing  slightly,  withdrew  to  the 
left  of  the  throne.  "  I  will  act  according  to  the  wishes 
of  King  Henri  of  Fi-ance  and  Queen  Mary  of  Scotland," 
he  said. 

"Admit  the  herald  of  our  brother  Philip  II.,"  said 
Henri. 

The  same  clatter  of  spurs  was  heard  announcing  the 
Spanish  herald,  whose  manner  as  he  approached  was 
even  more  haughty  than  that  of  his  colleague.  Stroking 
his  CastUian  mustache,  he  advanced  to  within  a  few 


270  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

steps  of  the  king,  and  without  kneeling,  but  simply  bow- 
ing, said,  — 

"  Philip,  by  divine  grace  King  of  Castile,  Leon,  Granada, 
Navarre,  Aragon,  Naples,  Sicily,  Majorca,  Sardinia,  of  the 
Indies  and  islands  of  Oceanica  ;  Archduke  of  Austria  ; 
Duke  of  Burgundy,  Lothier,  Brabant,  Limbourg,  Lux- 
embourg, and  Guelders  ;  Count  of  Flanders  and  Artois  ; 
Marquis  of  the  Holy  Empire ;  Seigneur  of  Friesland, 
Salins,  Malines,  the  cities,  towns,  and  territory  of  Utrecht, 
Overyssel,  and  Groeningen  ;  ruler  in  Asia  and  in  Africa,  — 
declare  to  you,  Henri  of  France,  that  by  reason  of  the  as- 
saults made  upon  the  city  of  Douai,  and  the  pillage  of  the 
city  of  Sens,  under  the  order  and  direction  of  your  gov- 
ernor in  Picardy,  we  aonsider  that  the  truce  sworn  by  us 
at  Vaucelles  has  been  broken,  and  we  declare  war  against 
you  by  land  and  sea.  In  token  of  this  challenge,  in  the 
name  of  my  said  king,  prince,  and  seigneur,  I,  Guzman 
d'Avila,  herald  of  Castile,  Leon,  Granada,  Navarre,  and 
Aragou,  here  throw  down  my  gauntlet."  And  drawing 
it  from  his  right  hand,  he  threw  it  with  an  insolent  ges- 
ture at  the  feet  of  the  king. 

Then,  through  his  swarthy  complexion,  Henri  II. 's 
expressive  face  was  seen  to  turn  pale,  as,  with  a  voice 
slightly  changed,  he  said,  — 

"  Our  brother  Philip  is  beforehand  with  us  in  address- 
ing to  us  complaints  which  we  might  make  against  him ; 
but  he  would  have  done  better,  since  he  has  taken  such 
personal  offence,  to  challenge  us  personally.  We  should 
have  been  glad  to  answer  for  our  deeds  in  single  combat, 
and  to  let  God  be  judge  between  us.  Tell  him,  Don 
Guzman  d'Avila,  however,  that  we  accept  heartily  his 
challenge  of  war,  but  that  if  he  should  decide  to  change 
his  mind,  and  seek  a  personal  encounter,  we  should  ac- 
cept that  challenge  with  even  greater  pleasure." 


WAR.  271 

The  constable  touched  his  arm  significantly,  and  he 
continued  :  "  You  may  add  that  you  saw  our  good  friend 
Monsieur  de  Montmorency,  when  he  heard  this  proposal 
we  offer  you,  touch  our  arm  to  remind  us  of  a  prophecy 
that  we  shall  die  in  a  duel.  Well,  at  the  risk  of  the 
fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  we  repeat  this  proposal, 
which  we  are  doubtful  if  this  prophecy  be  sufficiently 
reassuring  to  our  brother  to  determine  him  to  accept. 
Monsieur  de  Montmorency,  as  Constable  of  France,  I  ask 
you  to  pick  up  King  Philip's  gauntlet." 

Then  to  the  herald,  "Stay,  my  friend !"  he  said, — 
bringing  forward  a  bag  placed  behind  him  for  this  pur- 
pose, which  was  filled  with  gold,  —  "  it  is  a  long  distance 
to  Valladolid,  and  as  you  came  to  bring  me  so  welcome 
news,  it  is  not  fair  that  you  should  spend  upon  this  long 
journey  your  own  money  or  your  master's.  Therefore 
take  these  hundred  crowns  to  defray  your  expenses." 

"  Sire,"  replied  the  herald,  "  my  master  and  I  live  in  a 
country  where  gold  grows,  and  we  have  only  to  stoop  and 
pick  it  up  when  we  need  it."  And  bowing  to  the  king, 
he  stepped  back. 

"Ah,  ah, —  proud  as  a  Castilian  !"  murmured  Henri. 
"  Monsieur  de  Montgomery,  take  this  bag  and  distribute 
the  gold  through  the  windows  among  those  outside  !  " 

Montgomery  took  the  bag,  opened  the  window,  and 
threw  the  gold  to  the  lackeys  in  the  courtyard  below, 
who  received  it  with  exclamations  of  joy. 

"  Gentlemen,"  continued  Henri,  rising,  "  it  has  always 
been  the  custom  at  the  court  of  France  to  give  a  f§te 
whenever  war  has  been  declared  against  us  by  a  neigh- 
boring sovereign  ;  there  will  take  place  to-night  a  fete  of 
twofold  significance,  since  we  have  received  at  the  same 
time  declarations  of  war  from  a  king  and  from  a  queen." 

Then  turning  to  the  two  heralds,  who  were  standing, 


272  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

one  on  the  left  and  the  other  on  the  right,  "  Sir  William 
Xorry,  Don  Guzman  d'Avila,"  said  the  king,  "  since  you 
bring  occasion  for  the  fete,  you  are  invited  to  take  part 
in  it  as  representatives  of  Queen  Mary  our  sister,  and 
King  Philip  our  brother." 

"  Sire,"  said  the  constable,  in  an  undertone  to  King 
Henri,  "  will  your  Majesty  hear  some  news  fresh  from 
Picardy,  which  my  nephew  sends  by  a  lieutenant  of  the 
dauphin's  company,  Theligny  by  name  1 " 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  king,  "  bring  this  officer  to  me,  Cousin  ; 
he  will  be  welcome." 

Five  minutes  later  the  young  man  was  shown  into  the 
king's  private  cabinet,  where  he  stood,  respectfully  wait- 
ing, until  the  latter  should  speak  to  him. 

"  Well,  Monsieur,"  demanded  the  king,  "  what  news 
do  you  bring  us  concerning  the  admiral's  health  ? " 

"  Excellent  in  that  respect,  Sire ;  indeed,  the  admiral 
was  never  better !  " 

"  May  God  preserve  his  health,  and  all  will  go  well ! 
Where  did  you  leave  him  1 " 

"  At  La  Fere,  Sire." 

"  And  what  intelligence  do  you  bring  me  from  him  ] " 

"  Sire,  he  desired  me  to  warn  your  Majesty  to  prepare 
for  a  great  war.  The  enemy  has  mustered  more  than 
fifty  thousand  men  ;  and  the  admiral  believes  that  every 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  hitherto  has  been 
only  a  manoeuvre  to  conceal  his  real  plans." 

"  And  what  has  the  enemy  done  up  to  this  time  1 " 
demanded  the  king. 

"The  Duke  of  Savoy,  commauder-in-chief,"  replied  the 
young  lieutenant,  "  accompanied  by  the  Duke  of  Aer- 
schott,  Count  Mansfield,  Count  Egmont,  and  the  principal 
officers  of  his  army,  has  advanced  as  far  as  Givet,  the 
general  rendezvous  of  the  hostile  troops." 


WAR.  273 

"  I  have  learned  that  from  the  Due  de  Nevers,  Gov- 
ernor of  Champagne,"  said  the  king.  "  He  also  added  in 
his  despatch  that  he  thought  that  Emmanuel  Philibert 
chiefly  threatened  Rocroy  or  Mezieres ;  and  as  I  was  of 
the  opinion  that  Rocroy,  so  recently  fortified,  was  not  in 
a  condition  to  sustain  a  long  siege,  I  requested  the  Due 
de  Nevers  to  determine  whether  it  might  not  be  advisa- 
ble to  abandon  that  place.  Since  that  time  I  have  heard 
nothing  further  from  him." 

"  I  can  inform  your  Majesty,"  said  Theligny.  "Rely- 
ing upon  the  impregnability  of  the  place,  Monsieur  de 
Nevers  had  taken  up  his  position  there,  and  behind  the 
shelter  of  its  walls  had  given  the  enemy  so  hot  a  recep- 
tion that  after  some  skirmishes,  in  which  they  lost  a  few 
hundred  men,  they  were  obliged  to  retreat  by  the  ford  of 
Houssu,  between  the  villages  of  Xismes  and  Hauteroche ; 
thence  they  proceeded  to  Chimay,  Glayon,  and  Montreuil- 
aux-Dames ;  they  went  next  to  La  Chapelle,  which  they 
pillaged,  and  then  to  Vervins,  which  they  reduced  to 
ashes ;  at  last  they  advanced  toward  Guise,  and  the  ad- 
miral does  not  doubt  their  intention  to  besiege  that 
place,  where  Monsieur  de  Vasse  is  in  command." 

"What  troops  has  the  Duke  of  Savoy  1"  asked  the 
king. 

"  Flemish,  Spanish,  and  German  troops,  Sire,  —  forty 
thousand  infantry  and  about  fifteen  thousand  horse." 

"  And  how  many  men  have  Monsieur  de  Chatillon  and 
Monsieur  de  Nevers  at  their  disposal  ] " 

"  Sire,  even  by  uniting  their  forces  they  can  scarcely 
command  eighteen  thousand  foot  and  from  five  to  six 
thousand  horse  ;  besides,  Sire,  among  the  latter  there  are 
fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  English,  who  cannot  be 
relied  on  in  case  of  war  with  Queen  Mary." 

"  Then,  including  the  garrisons  which  must  be  left  in 
TOL.  i.  — 1.8 


274  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  towns,  we  can  give  you  scarcely  twelve  or  fourteen 
thousand  men,  my  dear  Constable,"  said  Henri,  turning 
to  Montmoreucy. 

"  It  cannot  be  helped,  Sire !  I  will  do  rny  best  with 
the  few  you  can  give  me.  I  have  heard  it  said  of  a  famous 
general  of  antiquity,  called  Xenophon,  that  he  had  only 
ten  thousand  men  in  his  command  when  he  achieved  a  mag- 
nificent retreat  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  ; 
and  that  Leouidas,  King  of  Sparta,  commanded  at  the 
most  a  thousand  men  when  he  held  his  ground  for  eight 
days  against  the  army  of  Xerxes,  which  was  much  more 
numerous  than  that  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy," 

"  Then  you  are  not  discouraged,  my  good  Constable  1 " 
said  the  king. 

"  Quite  the  contrary,  Sire.  Mordieu  I  I  was  never  so 
happy  or  full  of  hope.  I  only  wish  that  some  one  could 
give  me  information  as  to  the  condition  of  St.  Quentin." 

"  And  why  is  that,  Constable  1 "  asked  the  king. 

"  Because  with  the  keys  of  St.  Quentin  one  may  open 
the  gates  of  Paris,  Sire :  that  is  an  old  saying.  Do 
you  know  the  condition  of  St.  Quentin,  Monsieur  de 
Theligny  1  " 

'  No,  Monseigneur  ;  but  if  I  dared  —  " 

"  Dare,  mordiea  !  dare  !  the  king  permits  it." 

"  Well,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  I  have  with  me  a  sort 
of  squire,  provided  for  me  by  the  admiral,  who  can  give 
you  all  the  information  necessary  on  the  condition  of  the 
city,  if  he  wishes." 

"  What !  —  if  he  wishes  1 "  exclaimed  the  constable. 
"  He  must  wish." 

"Doubtless,"  said  Theligny,  "  he  will  not  dare  refuse  to 
answer  the  questions  of  Monsieur  le  Connetable  ;  but  he 
is  a  very  shrewd  fellow,  and  will  answer  in  his  own 
way." 


WAR.  275 

"  His  own  way? — that  is  to  say,  my  way,  Monsieur  le 
Lieutenant." 

"  That  is  the  very  point  on  which  I  wish  you  not  to 
be  deceived,  Monseigneur.  He  will  answer  in  his  own 
way,  and  not  in  yours ;  particularly  as  you,  not  being  ac- 
quainted with  St.  Quentin,  Monseigneur,  cannot  know 
whether  or  not  he  is  telling  the  truth." 

"  If  he  does  not  tell  the  truth  he  shall  be  hanged." 

"  Yes,  that  would  be  a  way  of  punishing  him,  but  it 
would  not  be  a  way  to  make  use  of  him.  Believe  me, 
Monseigneur,  he  is  a  shrewd  fellow,  clever,  and  very 
courageous  when  he  wishes  —  " 

"  What !  —  when  he  wishes  1  Is  he  not  then  courageous 
always  1  "  interrupted  the  constable. 

"  He  is  brave,  Monseigneur,  at  all  times  when  it  is  for 
his  interest  to  fight.  Nothing  more  can  be  expected  of 
an  adventurer." 

"My  good  Constable,"  said  the  king,  "whoever  seeks 
an  end  must  use  the  means  at  his  command.  This  man 
may  render  us  a  service  ;  Monsieur  de  Theligny  knows 
him  ;  let  him  conduct  the  examination." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  constable  ;  "  but  let  me  remind 
you,  Sire,  that  I  have  a  way  of  speaking  to  people  —  " 

"Yes,  Monseigneur,"  replied  Theligny,  smiling,  "we 
know  that  manner  of  yours,  and  it  has  its  advantages ; 
but  in  the  case  of  Maitre  Yvonnet,  the  only  result  would 
be  that  he  would  join  the  enemy  on  the  very  first  occasion, 
and  would  render  him  the  service  which  he  is  in  a  position 
to  render  us." 

"  To  the  enemy,  morUeu  I  To  the  enemy,  sacrebleu  !  " 
cried  the  constable.  "  In  that  case  we  will  hang  him  im- 
mediately. Is  he  a  scoundrel,  a  robber,  a  traitor,  —  this 
squire  of  yours,  Monsieur  de  Theligny  ?  " 

"  He  is  simply  an  adventurer,  Monseigneur." 


276  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  and  does  my  nephew  employ  such  rascals  1 " 

"  We  must  take  things  as  they  are,  Monseigueur,"  re- 
plied Theligny,  laughing.  Then  turning  to  the  king,  he 
said  :  "  I  place  my  poor  Yvonnet  under  your  Majesty's 
protection,  and  I  demand  that  whatever  he  may  say  or 
do,  I  may  take  him  back  with  me  safe  and  sound  as  I 
brought  him  here." 

"You  have  my  promise,  Monsieur,"  said  the  king. 
"  Go  find  your  squire." 

"  If  your  Majesty  permits  it,"  replied  The'ligny,  "  I  will 
simply  give  a  signal,  and  he  will  come  up." 

"Do  so." 

Theligny  approached  a  window  which  overlooked  the 
park,  opened  it,  and  made  a  signal. 

Five  minutes  later  Maitre  Yvonnet  appeared  upon 
the  threshold,  dressed  in  the  same  leather  cuirass,  the 
same  jerkin  of  brown  velvet,  and  the  same  high  boots 
in  which  he  was  first  presented  to  our  reader.  He 
held  in  his  hand  the  same  hat  ornamented  with  the 
same  plume.  But  everything  looked  two  years  older. 
A  brass  chain  which  once  had  been  gilded  hung  upon  his 
neck,  and  glittered  upon  his  breast. 

The  young  man  needed  but  a  single  glance  to  see  into 
what  presence  he  had  come,  and  probably  recognized 
either  the  king  or  the  constable,  perhaps  both,  for  he  stood 
respectfully  near  the  door. 

"Come  in,  Yvonnet;  come  in,  my  friend/'  said  the 
lieutenant ;  "  his  Majesty  Henri  II.  and  Monsieur  le 
Oonne'table  desired  to  see  you  on  account  of  my  report 
of  your  merits." 

To  the  constable's  great  astonishment,  Maitre  Yvonnet 
did  not  appear  at  all  surprised  that  his  merits  should 
have  deserved  such  favor. 

"  I  thank  you,  Lieutenant,"  said  Yvonnet,  advancing  a 


WAR.  277 

few  steps,  and  then  checking  himself,  under  the  combined 
influence  of  caution  and  respect ;  "  my  merits,  small  as 
they  are,  are  laid  at  the  feet  of  his  Majesty  and  at  the 
service  of  Monsieur  le  Conne'table." 

The  king  remarked  the  young  man's  clever  discrimina- 
tion between  the  homage  rendered  to  royal  Majesty,  and 
the  obedience  offered  to  Monsieur  de  Montmorency. 
Doubtless  the  constable  noticed  it  also. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  latter ;  "  enough  of  words,  my 
fine  fellow  !  Now  give  me  plain  answers,  or  I  shall  —  " 

Yvonnet  darted  a  glance  at  Monsieur  de  Theligny,  as 
if  to  say,  "  Am  I  incurring  danger  ?  Are  they  paying  me 
an  honor  1 " 

Theligny,  relying  on  the  king's  promise,  began  to  ques- 
tion him.  "  My  dear  Yvonnet,"  he  said,  "  the  king  knows 
that  you  are  a  gallant  cavalier,  much  loved  by  the  ladies, 
and  that  you  devote  to  your  toilet  the  profits  of  your 
intelligence  and  courage.  Now,  as  the  king  wishes  to 
make  use  of  your  intelligence  immediately,  and  your 
courage  later,  he  commissions  me  to  offer  you  ten  gold 
crowns  if  you  will  consent  to  give  him  and  Monsieur  le 
Conuetable  some  positive  information  concerning  the 
town  of  St.  Quentin." 

"Will  the  lieutenant  be  good  enough  to  explain  to 
the  king  that  I  am  a  member  of  a  band  of  good  fellows 
who  have  all  sworn  to  turn  half  the  profits  gained  by 
each,  whether  won  b^v  intelligence  or  courage,  into  the 
common  stock ;  so  that  of  the  ten  gold  crowns  which  are 
offered  me,  five  only  will  belong  to  me,  the  other  five 
being  the  property  of  the  society  ? " 

"  And  what  is  to  prevent  you  from  keeping  the  whole 
ten,  you  idiot,  and  saying  nothing  about  your  good  for- 
tune i"  said  the  constable. 


278  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  My  word,  Monsieur  le  Connetable  !  Peste !  we  are 
of  too  low  rank  to  break  our  word." 

"Sire,"  said  the  constable,  "I  have  not  much  confi- 
dence in  a  man  who  will  do  things  only  for  money." 

Yvonnet  bowed  before  the  king.  "  I  ask  his  Majesty's 
permission  to  say  two  words." 

"  Ah,  now  !    Why,  this  rascal  —  " 

"  Constable,"  said  the  king,  "  I  entreat  you  — "  Then, 
smiling,  he  said  to  Yvonnet,  "  Speak,  my  friend  !  " 

The  constable  shrugged  his  shoulders,  withdrew  a  few 
steps,  and  then  began  to  walk  back  and  forth,  as  if  he 
disdained  to  have  any  share  in  the  conversation. 

"  Sire,"  said  Yvonnet,  with  a  respect  and  grace  which 
would  have  done  honor  to  a  finished  courtier,  "your 
Majesty  will  observe  that  I  did  not  fix  any  price,  either 
small  or  great,  for  services  which  it  is  both  my  duty  and 
pleasure  to  render  as  your  Majesty's  most  humble  and 
obedient  subject.  It  was  my  lieutenant,  Monsieur  de 
Theligny,  who  spoke  of  ten  gold  crowns.  Your  Majesty, 
of  course,  could  not  be  aware  of  my  partnership  obliga- 
tions toward  eight  comrades  who  also  are  in  the  service 
of  Monsieur  1'Amiral;  therefore  I  thought  it  my  duty 
to  inform  your  Majesty  that  one  half  of  the  ten  crowns 
which  were  to  be  given  me  would  go  to  the  asso- 
ciation. Now  that  I  have  explained  this  to  your  Majesty, 
if  you  wish  to  question  me,  I  am  ready  to  answer,  —  and 
without  any  question  of  five,  ten,  or  twenty  gold  crowns, 
but  simply  out  of  respect,  and  in  obedience  and  devotion 
to  my  king."  And  the  adventurer  bowed  before  Henri 
with  as  much  dignity  as  if  he  had  been  the  ambassador 
of  an  Italian  prince  or  a  count  of  the  Holy  Empire. 

"Bravo!"  said  the  king;  "you  are  right,  Maitre 
Yvonnet.  We  will  make  no  bargain  in  advance,  and  you 
will  fare  the  better." 


WAR.  279 

Yvonnet  smiled,  as  if  to  say,  "  Oh,  I  kiiow  what  I  ain 
about ! " 

But  all  these  little  delays  irritated  the  impatient  tem- 
per of  the  constable ;  he  came  forward  and  stood  before 
the  young  man,  and  stamping  with  his  foot,  said,  "Come, 
now  that  the  conditions  are  arranged,  will  you  tell  me 
what  you  know  about  St.  Quentin,  you  rascal  1 " 

Yvoimet  looked  at  the  constable,  and  with  that  quizzi- 
cal expression  which  belongs  only  to  the  Parisian,  he 
said:  "St.  Quentin,  Monseigueurl  St.  Quentin  is  a 
town  situated  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  Somme,  six 
leagues  from  La  Fere,  thirteen  leagues  from  Laon,  thirty- 
four  leagues  from  Paris ;  it  has  twenty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, and  a  city  government  consisting  of  twenty-five 
municipal  officers,  —  namely,  a  mayor,  a  vice-mayor, 
eleven  jurymen,  and  twelve  aldermen.  These  officers 
themselves  elect  and  create  their  successors,  whom  they 
select  from  among  the  citizens,  according  to  a  decree  of 
Parliament  of  Dec.  16,  1335,  and  a  charter  of  King 
Charles  VI.  in  1412." 

"  Ta,  ta,  ta,  ta,  ta  !  "  cried  the  constable  ;  "  what  the 
devil  is  this  bird  of  ill  omen  singing  to  us  1  I  ask  you  to 
tell  me  what  you  know  about  St.  Quentin,  blockhead  !  " 

"  Well,  I  am  telling  you  what  I  know  about  St.  Quen- 
tin, and  I  can  vouch  for  the  correctness  of  the  informa- 
tion ;  I  have  it  from  my  friend  Maldent,  who  is  a  native 
of  Noyon,  and  who  has  spent  three  years  at  St.  Quentin 
in  the  capacity  of  lawyer's  clerk." 

"  Sire,"  said  the  constable,  *'  believe  me,  we  shall  get 
nothing  out  of  this  clown  until  he  is  placed  on  a  wooden 
horse,  with  four  twelve-pound  balls  on  each  leg." 

Yvonnet  remained  impassive. 

"I  am  not  quite  of  your  opinion,  Constable ;  I  think 
that  we  shall  gain  no  information  so  long  as  you  try  to 


280  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

make  him  talk,  but  that  he  will  tell  us  all  we  desire  to 
know  if  we  allow  Monsieur  de  Theliguy  to  question  him. 
If  he  knows  what  he  has  told  us,  —  which  is  just  what 
he  would  not  be  likely  to  know,  —  you  may  be  sure  that 
he  knows  something  more.  Is  it  not  true,  Maitre  Yvonnet, 
that  you  have  not  only  made  a  study  of  the  geography, 
population,  and  constitution  of  the  city  of  St.  Quentin, 
but  that  you  also  are  aware  of  the  condition  of  its  ram- 
parts, and  in  what  state  of  preparation  its  inhabitants 
are  at  present  ?  " 

"  If  my  lieutenant  wishes  to  question  me,  or  if  the 
king  should  do  me  the  honor  to  address  to  me  questions 
to  which  he  desires  answers,  I  will  do  my  best  to  satisfy 
my  lieutenant  or  obey  the  king." 

"  The  scamp  is  all  honey,"  murmured  the  constable. 

"  Come,  my  dear  Yvonnet,"  said  Theligny,  "  be  so  good 
as  to  prove  to  his  Majesty  that  I  was  not  misleading  him 
when  I  boasted  of  your  intelligence ;  explain  to  him  and 
to  Monsieur  le  Connetable  the  actual  condition  of  the 
city's  fortifications." 

Yvonnet  shook  his  head. 

"  One  would  think  the  rascal  knew  something  about 
it!"  muttered  the  constable. 

"  Sire,"  replied  Yvounet,  not  at  all  disturbed  by  Mon- 
sieur de  Montmorency's  observation,  "  I  have  the  honor 
to  inform  your  Majesty  that  the  city  of  St.  Quentin,  un- 
aware that  it  is  threatened  by  any  danger,  and  conse- 
quently having  prepared  no  means  for  defence,  is  scarcely 
in  a  state  to  resist  an  attack." 

"  But,  at  least,  it  has  ramparts  ? "  demanded  the  king. 

"Yes,  certainly,"  said  Yvonnet,  —  "  ramparts  of  round 
and  square  towers  connected  by  curtains,  with  two  horn- 
works,  one  of  which  guards  the  Faubourg  d'Isle ;  but  the 
rampart  has  not  even  parapets,  and  is  protected  only  by 


WAR.  281 

a  moat  in  front.  Its  upper  surface,  which  rises  above 
the  general  level  of  the  surrounding  country,  is  over- 
looked at  some  points  by  the  neighboring  heights,  and 
even  by  many  of  the  houses  situated  along  the  outer 
moat ;  and  on  the  right  of  the  road  to  Guise,  between 
the  river  Somrne  and  the  Isle  Gate,  the  old  wall  —  that 
is  the  name  of  the  rampart  at  this  point  —  is  so 
dilapidated  that  a  man  of  any  agility  can  easily  scale 
it." 

"  But,  you  rogue,  if  you  are  an  engineer,"  cried  the 
constable,  "  say  so  at  once  !  " 

"  I  am  not  an  engineer,  Monsieur  le  Connetable." 

"  And  what  are  you,  then  ?  " 

Yvonnet  lowered  his  eyes  with  affected  modesty. 

"  Yvonnet  is  a  lover,  Monseigneur,"  said  Theligny; 
"  and  in  order  to  visit  his  lady-love,  who  lives  in  the 
Faubourg  d'Isle,  near  the  gate  of  this  same  faubourg,  he 
has  been  obliged  to  study  the  strong  and  weak  points  of 
the  walls." 

"  Ah,  ah,"  murmured  the  constable,  "  that  is  an 
explanation !  " 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  king,  "  and  I  will  give  you  a  beau- 
tiful gold  cross  to  carry  to  your  mistress  when  you  next 
go  to  see  her." 

"  And  never  did  gold  cross  adorn,  I  am  confident,  a 
more  beautiful  neck  than  Gudule's,  Sire." 

"  Why,  the  brute  is  going  to  give  us  a  description  of 
his  mistress  ! "  said  the  constable. 

"  And  why  not,  if  she  is  pretty,  Cousin  1 "  said  the  king, 
laughing.  "  You  shall  have  the  cross,  Yvounet." 

"  Thanks,  Sire." 

"  And  now  there  is  a  garrison,  at  least,  in  the  city  of 
St.  Quentin  1  " 

"  No,  Monsieur  le  Connetable." 


282  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Xo  !  "  cried  Montmorency ;  "  and  how  does  that 
happen  ] " 

"  Because  there  are  no  barracks  in  the  town  ;  and  the 
defence  of  the  city  is  a  right  which  belongs  to  the  citi- 
zens, which  right  they  strictly  maintain." 

"  Citizens  !  rights  !  —  Sire,  believe  me,  things  will  al- 
ways go  wrong  so  long  as  the  citizens,  the  common 
people,  claim  all  sorts  of  rights,  which  they  have  re- 
ceived from  I  don't  know  whom  !  " 

"  From  whom  ?  I  will  tell  you,  Cousin,  —  from  kings, 
my  predecessors.'' 

"  Well,  if  your  Majesty  will  commission  me  to  take 
back  these  rights  from  the  citizens,  it  shall  be  quickly 
done." 

"  We  will  attend  to  that  later,  my  dear  Constable  ; 
meanwhile  our  chief  concern  is  with  this  Spaniard. 
There  ought  to  be  a  good  garrison  at  St.  Quentin." 

"  The  admiral  was  occupied  with  this  very  matter 
when  I  left,"  said  Theligny. 

"  And  he  must  have  succeeded  by  this  time,"  observed 
Yvotmet,  "  provided  he  had  the  assistance  of  Maitre  Jean 
Pauquet." 

"  Who  is  this  Maitre  Jean  Pauquet  1 "  asked  the  king. 

"He  is  Gudule's  uncle,  Sire,"  replied  Yvonnet,  in  a 
tone  not  quite  free  from  an  expression  of  self-satisfaction. 

"What,  you  rascal!"  cried  the  constable,  "you  are 
courting  the  magistrate's  niece  ? " 

"Jean  Pauquet  is  not  a  magistrate,  Monsieur  le 
Connetable." 

"And  what  is  this  Jean  Paxiquet  of  yours  ?" 

"  He  is  syndic  of  the  weavers." 

"  Jesus  !  "  said  the  constable,  "  what  sort  of  times  are 
these,  that  when  the  king  wishes  to  garrison  one  of  his 
cities,  he  is  obliged  to  negotiate  with  a  syndic  of  weavers  ? 


WAR.  283 

Tell  your  Jean  Pauquet  that  I  will  have  him  hanged  if 
he  does  not  open,  not  only  the  gates  of  the  city,  but  also 
the  doors  of  his  house  to  the  men-at-arms  it  shall  please 
me  to  send  him." 

"  I  think  that  Monsieur  le  Connetable  would  do  well 
to  leave  this  business  to  Monsieur  de  Chatillon,"  said 
Yvonnet,  shaking  his  head ;  "  he  knows  better  than  Mon- 
seigneur  the  proper  way  to  speak  to  Jean  Pauquet." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  getting  impertinent !  " 
cried  the  constable,  threateningly. 

"Cousin,  Cousin,"  said  Henri,  "for  mercy's  sake,  let 
us  finish  the  business  we  have  begun  with  tin's  brave 
fellow  !  You  will  be  able  to  judge  yourself  of  the  truth 
of  his  assertions,  since  the  army  is  under  your  command, 
and  you  are  to  rejoin  it  immediately." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  constable,  "  not  later  than  to-morrow  ! 
I  must  hasten  to  reduce  these  bourgeois  to  reason  !  A 
weavers'  syndic,  mordieu  ! — a  fine  fellow  to  negotiate 
with  an  admiral !  Peuh!  "  And  biting  his  finger-nails, 
he  withdrew  into  the  recess  of  a  window. 

"  Now,"  asked  the  king,  "  are  the  approaches  to  the 
town  easy  t " 

"  On  three  sides,  yes,  Sire,  —  on  the  sides  looking 
to  the  Faubourg  d'Isle,  Remicourt,  and  the  chapel 
of  Epargnemaille ;  but  on  the  other  side,  to  one  ap- 
proaching through  Tourival,  it  is  necessary  to  cross 
the  marshes  of  Grosnard,  which  are  full  of  pitfalls  and 
quagmires." 

The  constable  had  gradually  drawn  near  to  listen  to 
these  details,  which  interested  him. 

"  And  in  case  of  need,"  he  said,  "  would  you  undertake 
to  guide  through  these  marshes  a  body  of  troops  entering 
or  leaving  the  city  1  " 

"  Certainly ;  but  I  have  already  told  Monsieur  le  Con- 


284  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

netable  that  one  of  my  associates,  called  Maldent,  would 
be  better  fitted  for  this  affair,  having  lived  at  St.  Quentin 
three  years,  while  I  have  been  there  only  at  night,  and 
have  always  walked  very  fast." 

"  And  why  so  fast  ? " 

"  Because  when  I  am  alone  at  night,  I  am  afraid." 

"  What !  "  cried  the  constable,  "  you  are  afraid  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  I  am  afraid." 

"  And  you  confess  it,  you  scoundrel  ?  " 

"  Why  not,  since  it  is  so  1 " 

"  And  of  what  are  you  afraid  1 " 

"  I  am  afraid  of  will-o'-the-wisps,  ghosts,  and  phantoms." 

The  constable  burst  out  laughing.  "Ah,  you  are 
afraid  of  will-o'-the-wisps,  ghosts,  and  phantoms  ] " 

"  Yes,  I  am  dreadfully  nervous."  And  the  young  man 
pretended  to  shiver. 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Theligny,"  continued  the  constable,  "  let 
me  compliment  you  on  your  squire  !  That  is  enough  for 
me  ;  I  will  not  take  him  for  my  night  messenger." 

"  It  is  really  better  worth  while  to  employ  me  in  the 
daytime." 

"  Yes,  and  let  you  visit  Gudule  by  night,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  You  see,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  that  my  visits  have 
not  been  useless,  in  the  opinion  of  the  king,  since  he  has 
had  the  kindness  to  promise  me  a  cross." 

"  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  be  good  enough  to  give  this 
young  man  forty  gold  crowns  for  the  valuable  informa- 
tion he  has  affoi-ded  us,  and  the  services  he  promises. 
You  may  add  ten  crowns  from  me  to  buy  a  cross  for 
Mademoiselle  Gudule." 

The  constable  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Forty 
crowns,"  he  muttered ;  "  forty  strokes  of  the  lash  ! 
forty  blows  with  a  cane  !  forty  blows  with  the  handle 
of  a  halberd  on  the  shoulders ! " 


WAR.  285 

"  You  hear  me,  Cousin  ?  My  word  is  pledged  ;  take 
care  that  you  do  not  make  me  break  my  word." 

Then  to  Theligny  :  "  Monsieur  le  Lieutenant,"  con- 
tinued the  king,  "  Monsieur  le  Connetable  will  give  you 
orders  to  take  horses  from  my  stables  at  the  Louvre 
and  at  Compiegne,  that  you  may  travel  fast.  Do  not  be 
afraid  of  killing  them,  but  try  to  be  at  La  Fere  to-morrow. 
It  is  important  that  Monsieur  1'Amiral  should  know  of 
the  declaration  of  war  as  soon  as  possible.  Good-by, 
Monsieur,  and  good  luck  to  you  ! " 

The  lieutenant  and  his  squire  respectfully  saluted  King 
Henri  IT.,  and  followed  the  constable. 

Ten  minutes  later  they  were  galloping  along  the  road 
to  Paris ;  and  the  constable  went  back  to  rejoin  the  kiug, 
who  was  still  in  his  cabinet. 


286  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER   V. 

IN    CAMP   AT   LA   FERE. 

HENRI  II.  awaited  the  constable,  that  he  might  give  him 
on  the  spot  orders  of  the  highest  importance. 

Monsieur  de  Montgomery,  who  had  already  some  years 
previously  conducted  French  troops  to  the  relief  of  the 
regent  of  Scotland,  was  sent  to  Edinburgh  to  demand 
that  in  accordance  with  a  treaty  existing  between  that 
kingdom  and  France,  the  Scots  should  declare  war 
against  England,  and  that  the  nobles  constituting  the 
Council  of  Regency  should  send  to  France  delegates 
authorized  to  conclude  the  marriage  between  the  young 
Queen  Mary  and  the  dauphin. 

At  the  same  time  a  deed  was  drawn  up  by  which  Mary 
Stuart,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Guises,  transferred  to 
the  King  of  France  her  kingdom  of  Scotland  and  the 
rights  which  she  then  possessed,  or  might  yet  acquire,  to 
the  throne  of  England,  —  in  case  she  should  die  without 
leaving  a  male  heir.  When  the  marriage  should  be  con- 
summated Mary  Stuart  would  assume  the  title  of  "  Queen 
of  France,  Scotland,  and  England."  In  the  mean  time 
the  silver  service  of  the  young  sovereign  bore  the 
triple  blazon  of  the  Valois,  the  Stuarts,  and  the 
Tudors. 

In  the  evening,  as  Henri  II.  had  directed,  there  were 
magnificent  festivities  at  the  Chateau  de  St.  Germain  ; 
and  the  two  heralds  on  their  return  —  the  one  to  his  mis- 


IN  CAMP  AT  LA   FERE.  287 

tress,  the  other  to  his  master  —  could  tell  them  with  what 
exuberant  joyousness  declarations  of  war  were  received 
at  the  court  of  France. 

But  some  time  before  the  first  light  appeared  in  the 
windows  of  St.  Germain,  two  cavaliers,  well  mounted, 
started  out  from  the  courtyard  of  the  Louvre,  and  gain- 
ing the  barrier  of  La  Villette,  followed  at  a  fast  trot  the 
road  to  La  Fere.  At  Louvres  they  paused  a  moment 
to  breathe  their  horses ;  at  Compiegne  they  changed 
horses,  according  to  arrangements  previously  made  ;  then, 
notwithstanding  the  advanced  hour  of  the  night  and 
their  need  of  rest,  they  resumed  their  journey,  reached 
Noyon  at  daybreak,  rested  there  an  hour,  and  then  con- 
tinued on  toward  La  Fere,  which  place  they  reached  at 
about  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Nothing  new  had  happened  there  since  the  departure  of 
Theligny  and  Yvonnet. 

Although  the  latter  had  made  but  a  brief  stay  in  Paris, 
he  had  found  time  to  renew  his  wardrobe  at  the  shop  of  an 
old  acquaintance  who  dealt  in  second-hand  clothes.  He 
had  there  substituted  for  his  jerkin  and  brown  trunk-hose 
a  doublet  and  a  pair  of  breeches  of  green  velvet  em- 
broidered with  gold,  and  had  procured  a  cherry-colored  cap 
with  a  white  feather.  He  had  also  provided  himself  with 
boots  that  were  very  nearly  irreproachable,  armed  with 
immense  spurs.  If  these  garments  were  not  quite  new, 
they  had  been  worn  for  so  short  a  time  and  by  so  careful 
an  owner  that  only  a  very  ill-bred  person  would  make  re- 
marks upon  them,  or  even  recognize  them  as  issuing  from 
the  shop  of  an  old-clothes  dealer,  and  not  from  a  tailor's 
emporium. 

As  to  the  chain,  after  turning  the  subject  over  in  his 
mind,  Yvonnet  had  concluded  that  there  was  still  enough 
gilding  on  it  to  deceive  the  observer,  provided  he  remained 


288  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

at  a  sufficient  distance ;  and  it  was  his  business  to  keep 
it  from  being  closely  inspected. 

We  hasten  to  say  that  the  golden  cross  had  been 
scrupulously  purchased ;  but  no  one  ever  knew  whether 
or  no  Y von  net  had  scrupulously  applied  to  that  purchase 
the  ten  crowns  given  by  his  Majesty  Henri  II.  to  procure 
that  gift  for  Jean  Pauquet's  niece.  Our  own  private 
opinion  is  that  in  the  clippings  of  that  cross  Yvonnet  had 
found  means  not  only  to  clothe  himself  with  doublet  and 
breeches  of  green  velvet,  a  cherry-colored  cap  with  a 
white  plume,  and  boots  armed  with  copper  spurs,  but 
also  to  procure  an  elegant  cuirass,  which,  placed  on  the 
crupper  of  his  horse,  gave  forth,  at  every  movement  of  the 
animal,  a  slight  metallic  sound  that  was  quite  warlike. 
But  it  must  be  admitted  that  since  all  this  expenditure 
was  designed  to  adorn  or  to  defend  his  person,  and  since 
his  person  belonged  to  Mademoiselle  Gudule,  if  Yvonnet 
did  indeed  thus  utilize  the  clippings  of  his  mistress's  cross, 
it  cannot  be  said  that  the  gift  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of 
France  was  diverted  from  its  destination. 

Yvonnet  had  hardly  entered  La  Fere  when  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  measure  the  effectiveness  of  his  new  toilet. 
Frantz  and  Heinrich  Scharfenstein  were  engaged,  as  pur- 
veyors to  the  band  of  associates,  in  conducting  to  camp 
an  ox  of  which  they  had  obtained  possession.  But  the 
animal,  actuated  by  that  instinct  of  conservatism  which 
makes  animals  averse  to  scenes  of  slaughter,  refused  to  go 
forward ;  and  Heinrich  Scharfenstein  was  drawing  him 
on  by  one  of  his  horns,  while  Frantz  pushed  him  from 
behind. 

On  hearing  the  noise  made  by  the  horses'  feet  on  the 
pavement,  Heinrich  raised  his  head,  and  recognizing  our 
squire,  "Oh,  Frantz,"  said  he.  "just  look  at  Meinherr 
Yvonnet,  —  how  fine  he  is  !  " 


IN  CAMP   AT  LA  FERE.  289 

Absorbed  in  his  admiration,  Heinrich  relaxed  his  hold 
on  the  horn  ;  and  the  ox,  taking  advantage  of  the  opportu- 
nity, made  a  half-turn,  and  would  have  set  off  straight 
for  its  stable  had  not  Frantz,  stationed,  as  we  have  said, 
near  the  tail,  possessed  himself  of  that  member,  and  by 
holding  back  with  his  herculean  strength  arrested  the 
course  of  the  fugitive  animal. 

Yvonnet  made  with  his  hand  a  patronizing  gesture  of 
salutation,  and  passed  on. 

On  arriving  at  the  residence  of  the  admiral,  the  young 
lieutenant  announced  himself,  and  was  immediately  ad- 
mitted to  the  admiral's  cabinet,  followed  by  Yvonnet, 
who  with  his  usual  tact,  and  notwithstanding  his  changed 
condition,  waited  respectfully  at  the  door. 

Monsieur  de  Chatillon,  bending  over  one  of  those  un- 
completed maps  which  were  made  at  that  epoch,  was 
endeavoring  to  complete  it  from  information  given  him 
by  a  man  of  good  appearance,  with  a  sharp  nose  and  in- 
telligent eye,  who  was  standing  before  him.  This  was 
our  friend  Maldent,  who,  as  Yvonnet  had  said,  having 
been  a  lawyer's  clerk  three  years  at  St.  Quentin,  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  city  and  the  surrounding  country. 

The  admiral,  hearing  the  noise  made  by  Theligny  in 
entering,  looked  up  and  recognized  his  messenger  Mal- 
dent quietly  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  door,  and  recog- 
nized Yvonnet.  The  admiral  extended  his  hand  to 
Theligny.  Maldent  exchanged  a  glance  with  Yvcnnet. 
who  showed  on  the  edge  of  his  pocket  the  strings  of  a 
purse,  by  way  of  informing  his  associate  that  his  journey 
had  not  been  without  gain. 

Theligny  briefly  gave  the  admiral  an  account  of  his 
interview  with  the  king  and  the  constable,  and  delivered 
to  the  Governor  of  Picardy  his  uncle's  letters 

"Yes,"  said  Coligny,  as  he  read,  "  I  have  thought,  with 
•VOL.  i.  — 19 


290  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

him,  that  St.  Quentin  is  indeed  an  important  point  to  be 
protected.  And  therefore,  my  dear  Theliguy,  your  com- 
pany went  thither  yesterday.  You  will  rejoin  it  this 
very  day,  and  announce  that  I  shall  come  immediately." 
And  quite  preoccupied  by  the  information  which  Maldent 
was  giving  him,  he  bent  again  over  the  map  and  contin- 
ued his  annotations. 

Theligny  was  well  aware  that  the  grave  and  profound 
mind  of  the  admiral  must  be  left  free  to  follow  its  own 
course ;  and  since,  in  all  probability,  when  his  notes  were 
completed  Coliguy  would  have  further  orders  to  give  him 
in  regard  to  St.  Quentin,  the  lieutenant,  approaching 
Yvonnet,  said  to  him  in  a  low  tone,  — 

"  Go  and  wait  for  me  at  the  camp.  I  will  take  you 
up  as  I  pass,  after  I  have  received  the  admiral's  last 
instructions." 

Yvonnet  bowed  silently,  and  withdrew.  He  found  his 
horse  at  the  door,  and  in  a  few  moments  was  outside  the 
town. 

The  admiral's  camp,  located  at  first  at  Pierrepout,  near 
Marie,  had  been  moved  to  the  neighborhood  of  La  Fere. 
Too  weak  to  keep  to  the  open  country  with  the  fifteen  to 
eighteen  hundred  men  in  his  command,  the  admiral,  fear- 
ing a  surprise,  had  sought  the  shelter  of  a  fortified  post, 
considering  the  advantage  to  his  small  force  of  being 
behind  good  walls. 

Yvonnet,  crossing  the  outer  limit  of  the  camp,  stood 
up  in  his  stirrups,  seeking  to  recognize  some  one  of  his 
companions,  and  to  discover  in  what  part  of  the  camp 
they  had  their  quarters.  Very  soon  his  gaze  was  arrested 
by  a  group,  in  the  middle  of  W7hich  he  thought  he  saw 
Procope  sitting  on  a  rock,  and  writing. 

Procope  was  putting  to  use  his  clerical  knowledge. 
At  the  moment  when  an  encounter  with  the  enemy 


IN   CAMP  AT  LA  FERE.  291 

might  be  expected,  he  was  drawing  wills  at  five  sous 
each.  Yvounet  understood  that  he  must  not  be  inter- 
rupted in  that  serious  occupation.  He  again  looked 
around  him,  and  perceived  Heinrich  and  Frantz  Schar- 
fenstein,  who  had  abandoned  their  efforts  to  lead  the  ox 
to  camp,  and  having  tied  his  legs,  were  carrying  him 
thither  suspended  from  a  carriage-pole,  one  end  of  which 
each  of  them  supported  on  his  shoulder.  A  man,  who 
proved  to  be  no  other  than  Pilletrousse,  was  making 
signs  to  them  from  the  door  of  a  tent  which  seemed  to 
be  in  fair  condition. 

Yvonnet  was  ready  to  avail  himself  of  his  rights  of 
domicile,  and  immediately  approached  Pilletrousse,  who, 
instead  of  offering  a  greeting  to  his  old  companion,  took 
•  a  turn  around  him,  then  a  second  turn,  and  then  a 
third.  Yvonnet,  like  the  horseman  in  an  equestrian 
statue,  looked  at  him  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction  while 
he  made  these  perambulations. 

Having  made  the  third  circuit,  Pilletrousse  paused, 
and  with  a  click  of  the  tongue,  which  meant  admiration, 
"Peste/"  said  he,  "that  is  a  fine  horse,  —  well  worth 
forty  crowns.  Where  the  devil  did  you  steal  it?" 

"  Hush  ! "  said  Yvonnet,  "  speak  of  the  animal  with 
respect ;  it  comes  from  his  Majesty's  stables,  and  is  in 
my  possession  only  by  way  of  loan." 

"  That  is  a  pity  ! "  said  Pilletrousse. 

"  Why  ? " 

"  Because  I  have  a  purchaser." 

"  Ah  ! "  said  Yvonnet ;  "  and  who  is  your  purchaser  1 " 

"  I,"  said  a  man  standing  behind  him. 

Yvonnet  turned,  and  threw  a  quick  glance  at  the  man 
who  announced  himself  with  that  proud  monosyllable, 
which  a  hundred  years  later  made  the  success  of  the 
tragedy  of  "  Medea." 


292  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  admirer  of  the  horse  was  a  young  man  twenty- 
three  or  twenty-four  years  old,  only  partially  armed,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  soldiers  when  in  camp. 

Yvonnet  needed  only  to  observe  those  square  shoul- 
ders, that  head  with  flowing  hair  and  a  red  beard,  those 
blue  eyes  full  of  determination  and  ferocity,  to  recognize 
the  man  who  had  addressed  him. 

"Monsieur,"  said  he,  "you  have  heard  my  answer. 
The  horse  belongs  to  his  Majesty  the  King  of  France, 
who  had  the  goodness  to  lend  it  to  me  for  my  return  to 
camp.  If  he  reclaims  it,  I  must  restore  it  to  him ;  if  he 
leaves  it  with  me,  it  is  at  your  service,  —  its  price,  you 
understand,  being  agreed  upon  between  us  in  advance." 

"That  is  what  I  mean,"  the  gentleman  replied.  "Keep 
it,  then,  for  me  ;  I  am  rich  and  generous." 

Yvonnet  bowed. 

"  Moreover,"  the  gentleman  continued,  "  this  is  not 
the  only  matter  in  which  I  expect  to  have  to  do  with 
you."  " 

Yvonnet  and  Pilletrousse  bowed  together. 

"  How  many  are  there  in  your  band  1 " 

"  In  our  troop,  you  mean,  Monsieur  ? "  replied  Yvonnet, 
a  little  hurt  by  the  term  employed. 

"  In  your  troop,  if  that  suits  you  better." 

"  If  during  my  absence  no  accident  has  happened  to 
any  one  of  my  comrades,"  replied  Yvonnet,  with  a  ques- 
tioning glance  at  Pilletrousse,  "  there  are  nine  of  us." 

A  look  from  Pilletrousse  reassured  Yvonnet,  if  indeed 
he  was  anxious  on  the  subject. 

"  Nine  brave  men  1 "  the  gentleman  asked. 

Yvonnet  smiled  ;  Pilletrousse  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Indeed,  you  have  there  some  promising  specimens," 
said  the  gentleman,  pointing  to  Frantz  and  Heinrich,  "  if 
those  two  brave  fellows  belong  to  your  troop." 


IN  CAMP  AT  LA  FERE.  293 

"  They  belong  to  it !  "  replied  Pilletrousse,  laconically. 

"  Very  well,  I  can  negotiate  —  " 

"  Pardon,"  said  Yvounet,  "  but  we  belong  to  the 
admiral !  " 

"  Except  for  two  days  in  the  week,  when  we  can  work 
on  our  own  account,"  remarked  Pilletrousse.  "  Procope 
inserted  that  clause  in  the  agreement  to  provide  for  these 
two  cases,  —  first,  when  we  may  have  some  enterprise  of 
our  own  to  put  into  execution,  and,  secondly,  when  some 
honorable  gentleman  makes  a  proposition  to  us  of  the 
kind  which  Monsieur  seems  now  to  have  in  mind." 

"  It  is  only  for  a  single  day  or  for  a  single  night ;  so 
that  falls  out  marvellously  well.  Now,  in  case  of  need, 
where  shall  I  find  you  ] " 

"At  St.  Quentin,  probably,"  said  Yvonuet.  "As  for 
myself,  I  am  to  be  there  this  very  day." 

"  And  two  of  our  number,"  continued  Pilletrousse, 
"  Lactance  and  Malemort,  are  there  already.  As  for  the 
remainder  of  the  troop  —  " 

"  As  for  the  remainder  of  the  troop,"  Yvounet  inter- 
rupted, "they  will  not  be  slow  to  follow  us,  since  the 
admiral,  after  what  I  have  heard  him  say,  is  to  be  there 
himself  in  two  or  three  days." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  gentleman.  "  So,  then,  we  shall 
meet  at  St.  Quentin,  my  brave  fellows  ! " 

"  At  St.  Queutin,  Monsieur." 

The  gentleman  made  a  slight  bow,  and  withdrew. 
Yvonnet  continued  looking  at  him  until  he  was  lost  in 
the  crowd  ;  then  calling  a  camp-boy,  who  served  the  nine 
associates,  and  who  in  exchange  for  his  services  received 
from  the  association  temporal  and  spiritual  nurture,  he 
threw  his  horse's  bridle  over  the  boy's  arm. 

Yvonnet's  first  impulse  had  been  to  approach  Pille- 
trousse, and  impart  to  him  his  recollections  concerning 


294  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  stranger;  but  reflecting,  probably,  that  Pilletrousse 
was  of  too  coarse  calibre  to  be  intrusted  with  a  secret 
of  such  importance,  he  swallowed  the  words  that  were 
ou.  the  tip  of  his  tongue,  and  appeared  to  give  all 
his  attention  to  the  labors  of  Heinrich  and  Frantz 
Scharfenstein. 

Heinrich  and  Frantz  having,  as  we  have  said,  by  sus- 
pending their  recalcitrant  ox  from  a  carriage-pole  trans- 
ported him  to  the  middle  of  the  camp,  had  deposited 
him,  breathing  hard  and  with  bloodshot  eyes,  opposite 
their  tent.  Heinrich  went  into  his  tent  to  get  his  war- 
hammer,  and  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  it ;  for  Fra- 
casso,  seized  with  a  poetic  inspiration,  had  stretched 
himself  upon  a  mattress,  that  he  might  dream  more  at 
ease,  and  had  made  use  of  the  hammer  as  a  pillow  to 
support  his  head. 

This  hammer  was  simple  in  form  and  of  common  ma- 
terial, —  a  twelve-pound  cannon-ball  attached  to  an  iron 
handle ;  it  was,  together  with  an  immense  two-handed 
sword,  the  customary  weapon  of  the  two  Scharfensteins. 
Heinrich  found  it  at  last ;  and  in  spite  of  Fracasso's  com- 
plaints, whom  he  interrupted  in  the  very  fire  of  composi- 
tion, he  drew  it  from  under  the  poet's  head,  and  returned 
to  Frantz,  who  was  waiting  for  him. 

As  soon  as  Frantz  freed  the  forelegs  of  the  ox,  the 
animal  made  a  sudden  effort  and  partly  rose  from  his 
recumbent  posture.  Heinrich  took  advantage  of  that 
moment;  he  raised  the  iron  hammer  until,  as  it  de- 
scended behind  him,  it  touched  his  loins,  and  then  with 
all  his  force  he  struck  the  ox  between  the  horns. 

The  animal,  who  had  begun  to  utter  a  moan,  ceased  at 
once,  and  fell  as  if  struck  by  lightning. 

Pilletrousse,  who  with  eager  eye,  and  in  an  attitude 
like  that  of  a  pointer  making  a  stand,  was  awaiting  this 


IN  CAMP   AT  LA  FERE.  295 

moment,  threw  himself  upon  the  prostrate  animal,  and 
opened  an  artery  in  his  neck.  He  then  split  the  body 
from  the  lower  lip  to  the  opposite  extremity,  and  applied 
himself  to  the  task  of  dissecting  it. 

Pilletrousse  was  the  butcher  of  the  association.  Hein- 
rich  and  Frautz,  the  purveyors,  bought  and  killed  the 
animal,  as  they  had  done  in  the  present  instance ;  then 
Pilletrousse  took  off  the  hide,  cut  up  the  body,  set  aside 
for  the  association  the  choice  bits,  and  in  a  sort  of  stall, 
set  up  at  a  short  distance  from  the  partnership  tent,  he 
exposed  for  sale,  arranged  with  all  the  skill  at  his  com- 
mand, the  several  portions  which  he  had  no  wish  to  keep. 
And  he  was  so  skilful  a  carver  and  so  adroit  a  seller 
that  after  setting  apart  enough  to  last  the  association 
two  or  three  days,  he  generally  gained  from  the  sale  of 
three  quarters  of  the  animal  one  or  two  crowns  more 
than  it  had  cost. 

All  this  was  to  the  advantage  of  the  association,  which, 
as  may  be  seen,  was  likely  to  be  quite  prosperous  if  its 
affairs  were  prosecuted  by  every  one  of  its  members  as 
they  had  been  by  those  who  have  come  under  our 
observation. 

The  carving  of  the  body  had  been  completed,  and  the 
auction  sale  was  in  progress,  when  a  ca'valier  appeared  in 
the  midst  of  those  who  thronged  around  the  stall  of 
Maitre  Pilletrousse,  and  who  —  each  according  to  his 
means  —  were  purchasing  all  the  parts  of  the  animal 
that  were  offered  for  sale. 

That  cavalier  was  Theligny,  who,  provided  with  letters 
from  the  admiral  to  the  mayor,  to  the  governor  of  the 
city,  and  to  Jean  Pauquet,  syndic  of  the  weavers,  was 
looking  for  his  squire,  Yvonnet.  He  also  brought  the 
news  that  as  soon  as  the  admiral  had  procured  the  troops 
for  which  he  was  waiting,  and  had  communicated  with 


296  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

his  uncle  the  constable,  he  would  set  out  for  St.  Quentin, 
accompanied  by  five  or  six  hundred  men. 

Maldeut,  Procope,  Fracasso,  Pilletrousse,  and  the  two 
Scharfeusteins  would  form  a  part  of  the  garrison,  and 
would  rejoin  in  the  city  Malemort  and  Lactance,  who 
were  there  already,  and  Yvonuet,  who,  with  Monsieur  de 
Theliguy,  would  be  there  in  two  or  three  hours. 

The  farewells  were  brief;  for  Fracasso  had  not  yet 
finished  his  sonnet,  and  was  seeking  in  vain  a  rhyme  for 
the  word  perdre  ;  and  the  two  Scharfensteins,  though  fond 
of  Yvonuet,  were  naturally  undemonstrative  ;  and  finally, 
Pilletrousse  was  so  much  occupied  with  his  sale  that 
he  could  only  say  to  the  young  man,  as  he  pressed  his 
hand,  — 

"  Try  to  keep  the  horse." 


ST.   QUENTIN.  297 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ST.  QUENTIN. 

As  Yvonnet  had  told  the  constable,  St.  Queiitiu  was  six 
leagues  from  La  Fere.  The  horses  had  already  travelled 
a  long  distance  since  the  night  before,  without  any  stop 
except  for  an  hour  at  Noyou.  They  had  just  rested  two 
hours,  it  is  true;  nevertheless,  as  there  was  no  reason 
for  haste,  except  perhaps  Yvonuet's  desire  to  see  Gudule, 
the  cavaliers  occupied  nearly  three  hours  in  making  the 
six  remaining  leagues  of  their  journey. 

At  last,  after  passing  the  outer  wall,  and  leaving  on 
the  right  the  road  to  Guise,  which  branches  off  about 
one  hundred  steps  from  the  old  wall,  after  giving  their 
names  at  the  gate,  and  passing  under  the  archway  made 
in  the  rampart,  the  two  cavaliers  arrived  in  the  Fau- 
bourg d'Isle. 

"  Will  my  lieutenant  give  me  leave  of  absence  for 
about  ten  minutes  1 "  asked  Yvonnet,  "  or  is  he  willing, 
by  a  slight  change  of  course,  to  get  news  of  what  is  tak- 
ing place  in  the  city  ?  " 

"Ah,  ah!"  said  Th&igny,  laughing,  "you  must  be 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Mademoiselle  Gudule's  place  of 
residence  ] " 

"  Exactly  so,  Lieutenant,"  said  Yvonnet. 

"  Is  it  not  imprudent  1  "  asked  Theligny. 

"  Not  in  the  least !  I  pass  in  the  daytime  for  a  mere 
acquaintance  of  Mademoiselle  Gudule,  who  exchanges 
with  her  a  friendly  salutation.  It  has  always  been  my 


298  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

principle  not  to  injure  the  marriage  prospects  of  pretty 
girls." 

And  turning  to  the  right,  he  proceeded  down  a  narrow 
street,  on  one  side  of  which  was  a  high  garden-wall,  and 
on  the  other  a  row  of  houses,  one  window  of  which  was 
half  hidden  by  nasturtium  and  convolvulus  vines.  By 
rising  in  his  stirrups,  Yvounet  could  just  reach  up  to  this 
window,  under  which  was  a  stepping-stone,  affording  to 
pedestrians,  in  case  of  love  or  business  affairs,  the  same 
facility  which  was  possessed  by  Yvounet  on  horseback. 

Just  as  he  arrived,  the  window  opened  as  if  by  magic, 
and  a  charming  little  face,  blushing  with  joy,  appeared  in 
the  midst  of  the  flowers. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,  Gudule !  "  said  Yvonnet.  "  How  did 
you  divine  my  arrival  1  " 

"  I  did  not  divine  it.  I  was  at  my  other  window, 
which  overlooks  the  road  to  La  Fere,  and  saw  two  cava- 
liers approaching;  and  although  I  had  no  reason  to  think 
that  you  were  one  of  them,  I  could  n't  take  my  eyes  off 
those  two  travellers.  As  you  came  nearer,  I  recognized 
you.  Then  I  ran  to  this  window,  trembling  with  fear ; 
for  I  feared  that  you  would  pass  without  stopping,  — 
partly  because  you  were  not  alone,  and  partly  because 
you  are  so  grandly  and  beautifully  dressed  that  I  feared 
you  had  made  your  fortune." 

"The  person  whom  I  have  the  honor  to  accompany, 
my  dear  Gudule,  and  who  has  allowed  me  this  short 
interview  with  you,  is  Monsieur  de  Theligny,  my  lieu- 
tenant, who  has,  as  well  as  I,  some  questions  to  ask  you 
concerning  the  condition  of  the  city." 

Gudule  cast  a  timid  glance  at  the  lieutenant,  who  sa- 
luted her  with  a  polite  bow,  to  which  the  young  girl 
replied  by  a  "  God  preserve  you,  Monsieur !  "  spoken  in 
an  agitated  tone. 


ST.   QUENTIN.  299 

"As  to  my  change  of  costume,  Gudule,"  continued 
Yvonnet,  "  I  owe  it  to  the  liberality  of  the  king,  who, 
knowing  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  your  acquaintance, 
also  commissioned  me  to  deliver  you  this  gold  cross." 
And  Yvounet  drew  the  cross  from  his  pocket  and  offered 
it  to  Gudule,  who,  while  hesitating  to  take  it,  exclaimed  : 

"  What  are  you  saying,  Yvonnet  t  Why  do  you  make 
fun  of  a  poor  girl  1 " 

11 1  am  not  laughing  at  you,  Gudule,"  replied  Yvonnet ; 
"  and  my  lieutenant  will  witness  to  the  truth  of  what  I 
say." 

"  Indeed,  my  pretty  maid,"  said  Theligny,  "  I  was 
present  when  the  king  commissioned  Yvouuet  to  bring 
you  this  gift." 

"  You  know  the  king,  then  1 "  asked  Gudule,  in 
wonder. 

"Since  yesterday,  Gudule;  and  since  yesterday  also 
the  king  knows  about  you  and  your  brave  uncle  Jean 
Pauquet,  to  whom  my  lieutenant  brings  a  letter  from 
Monsieur  1'Amiral." 

The  lieutenant  nodded  assent;  and  Gudule,  who,  as 
we  have  said,  had  hesitated  at  first,  reached  out  through 
the  flowers  her  trembling  hand,  which  Yvounet  grasped 
and  kissed  while  placing  in  it  the  cross. 

Then  Theligny,  approaching,  said,  "And  now,  my 
dear  Monsieur  Yvouuet,  will  you  ask  the  pretty  Gudule 
where  we  shall  find  her  uncle,  and  what  he  is  disposed 
to  do  in  this  emergency  1 " 

"  My  uncle  is  at  the  town-house,  Monsieur,"  said  the 
young  girl,  unable  to  withdraw  her  eyes  from  the  cross, 
"  and  I  think  is  determined  to  make  a  good  defence  of 
the  city." 

<;  Thank  you,  my  pretty  girl !     Come,  Yvonnet  —  " 

Gudule,  assuming  a  questioning  look,  and  blushing  up 


300  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

to  her  very  eyes,  said,  addressing  Theligny,  "  What  if  my 
father  should  ask  me  who  gave  me  this  cross  1 " 

11  You  can  tell  him  that  his  Majesty  sent  it  to  you,"  re- 
plied the  young  officer,  smiling,  who  understood  Gudule's 
apprehension,  —  "  that  the  king  gave  it  to  you  in  recog- 
nition of  services  already  rendered  him,  and  of  those 
which  doubtless  will  yet  be  rendered  him  by  your  Uncle 
Jean  and  your  father  Guillaume.  In  short,  if  you  do  not 
wish  to  mention  Maitre  Yvonnet,  —  which  is  possible,  — 
you  may  add  that  it  was  Monsieur  de  Theligny,  lieuten- 
ant in  the  dauphin's  company,  who  brought  you  this 
cross  from  the  king." 

"  Oh,  thanks,  thank's !  "  cried  Gudule,  clapping  her 
hands  together  in  delight ;  "  without  having  that  expla- 
nation, I  never  should  have  dared  to  wear  it." 

Then  she  whispered  hurriedly  to  Yvonnet,  "  When 
shall  I  see  you  again  ? " 

"  When  I  was  three  or  four  leagues  away  from  you, 
Gudule,  you  saw  me  every  night,"  replied  Yvouuet ;  "just 
think,  now  that  I  am  living  in  the  same  city  —  " 

"Hush! "said  Gudule.  Then  in  a  still  lower  whis- 
per, "  Come  soon,"  she  said ;  "  I  think  that  my  father 
will  spend  the  night  at  the  town-house."  And  she 
drew  in  her  head  behind  the  curtain  of  leaves  and 
flowers. 

The  young  men  followed  the  road  between  the  Somme 
and  the  fountain  Ferree.  Midway  on  this  road  they 
passed  on  their  left  the  abbey  and  church  of  St.  Quentin- 
en-Isle,  and  crossed  a  bridge  which  led  them  to  the 
chapel  where  the  relics  of  the  holy  martyr  were  pre- 
served ;  a  second  bridge,  which  brought  them  to  the  pass 
of  St.  Peter ;  and,  lastly,  a  third,  after  crossing  which  they 
found  themselves  opposite  the  two  towers  that  flanked 
the  Porte  d'Isle. 


ST.   QUENTIN.  301 

The  gate  was  guarded  by  a  soldier  of  Theliguy's  regi- 
ment and  by  a  citizen  of  the  town. 

This  time  there  was  no  need  for  Theligny  to  give  his 
name ;  indeed  the  soldier  came  to  him  to  ask  for  news. 
It  was  reported  that  the  enemy  was  near ;  and  this  little 
band  of  five  hundred  men,  under  command  of  a  second 
lieutenant,  felt  somewhat  isolated  among  all  these  citizens 
who  in  their  alarm  were  running  about  the  city,  or  who 
idled  away  their  time  in  meetings  at  the  town-house,  where 
they  talked  much  and  did  little. 

St.  Quentiu  appeared  to  be  abandoned  to  the  most  fear- 
ful confusion.  The  main  thoroughfare  —  which  divides 
the  city  through  two  thirds  of  its  length,  and  iuto  which 
lead,  as  streams  empty  into  a  river,  the  streets  Wager, 
Cordeliers,  Issenghien,  Liguiers  on  the  right,  and  on  the 
left  the  streets  Corbeaux,  Truie-qui-file,  and  Brebis  — 
was  thronged  with  people;  and  this  multitude,  denser 
still  in  the  Rue  Sellerie,  presented  upon  the  public  square 
a  wall  so  compact  that  it  was  almost  impossible  even  for 
the  horsemen  to  pass  through  it. 

It  is  true  that  when  Yvonnet  set  his  hat  on  the  point 
of  his  sword,  and  rising  in  his  stirrups  called  out,  "  Make 
way  !  Make  way  for  the  messengers  of  Monsieur  1'Amiral ! " 
the  crowd,  hoping  that  it  was  the  announcement  of  re- 
inforcements, fell  back  upon  itself  sufficiently  to  open  for 
the  two  cavaliers  a  path,  which,  starting  from  the  church 
of  St.  Jacques,  led  them  to  the  steps  of  the  town-house, 
where  the  mayor,  Messire  Varlet  de  Gibercourt,  awaited 
them. 

The  two  cavaliers  had  arrived  at  an  opportune  moment ; 
there  had  been  a  meeting  of  the  citizens,  and  thanks  to 
their  patriotism,  excited  to  a  higher  pitch  by  the  eloquence 
of  Maitre  Jean  Pauquet  and  his  brother  Guillaume,  it  had 
been  unanimously  decided  that  the  city  of  St.  Queutin, 


302  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

loyal  to  its  king  and  relying  on  its  patron  saint,  would 
defend  itself  to  the  last  extremity. 

The  news  which  Theligny  brought  of  the  speedy  ap- 
proach of  the  admiral  with  reinforcements  carried  their 
enthusiasm  to  its  greatest  height.  Then  and  there  the 
citizens  organized  themselves  into  companies.  Each 
company  was  to  consist  of  fifty  men,  and  to  elect  its 
own  officers. 

The  mayor  opened  the  arsenal  of  the  town-hall.  Un- 
fortunately, it  was  poorly  stocked,  —  containing  only 
fifteen  cannon  of  different  kinds,  some  of  which  were  in 
a  very  bad  condition,  and  thirty-six  arquebuses ;  but 
there  were  halberds  and  pikes  in  abundance. 

Jean  Pauquet  was  made  captain  of  one  of  these  com- 
panies, and  Guillaume  Pauquet,  his  brother,  lieutenant 
of  another.  Honors  were  pouring  in  upon  the  family  ; 
but  these  honors  were  fraught  with  danger. 

The  total  muster  of  troops,  therefore,  comprised  one 
hundred  and  twenty  or  one  hundred  and  thirty  men 
belonging  to  the  dauphin's  company,  commanded  by 
Theligny;  nearly  one  hundred  men  of  the  company  of 
Monsieur  de  Breuil,  Governor  of  St.  Quentin,  who  had 
arrived  eight  days  before  from  Abbeville ;  and  two  hun- 
dred citizeus  organized  into  four  companies  of  fifty  men 
each.  Three  of  these  companies  were  composed  of  men 
armed  with  crossbows,  pikes,  and  halberds;  the  fourth 
was  armed  with  arquebuses. 

Suddenly  a  fifth  company  was  seen  approaching,  which, 
on  account  of  its  unexpected  appearance  and  the 
elements  of  which  it  was  composed,  was  greeted  with 
enthusiasm. 

It  emerged  from  the  Eue  Croix-Belle-Porte,  and  con- 
sisted of  one  hundred  Jacobin  friars,  all  bearing  pikes  or 
halberds,  led  by  a  man  under  whose  robe  might  be  seen 


ST.   QUENTIN.  303 

the  links  of  a  breastplate,  and  who  carried  in  his  hand  a 
drawn  sword. 

Attracted  by  the  shouts  of  the  spectators,  Yvonnet 
turned  and  looked ;  observing  the  captain  attentively,  he 
exclaimed,  "  May  the  devil  burn  me  if  it  ia  not 
Lactance ! " 

It  was  indeed  Lactance.  Suspecting  that  the  cam- 
paign would  be  a  severe  one,  he  had  retired  into  the 
Jacobin  monastery  in  the  Rue  des  Hosiers  to  do  there  his 
penance  and  bring  himself  as  far  as  was  possible  into  a 
state  of  grace.  The  good  fathers  had  received  him  with 
open  arms ;  and  Lactance,  while  confessing  and  receiving 
the  sacrament,  had  observed  the  patriotism  which  ani- 
mated them,  and  considered  whether  it  could  not  be 
utilized.  Consequently  he  communicated  to  the  monks, 
as  an  inspiration  from  heaven,  the  idea  which  had  occurred 
to  him  of  organizing  them  into  a  military  company  for 
the  defence  of  St.  Quentin.  To  this  they  agreed.  Lac- 
tance had  obtained  from  the  prior  permission  to  take  one 
hour  from  matins  and  a  half  hour  from  vespers  for 
practice,  and  at  the  end  of  three  days  considering  them 
sufficiently  skilful  in  military  tactics,  he  had  taken  them 
from  the  convent,  and,  as  we  have  said,  had  brought 
them  into  the  public  square  amid  the  loud  acclamations 
of  the  multitude. 

St.  Quentin  could  therefore  rely,  for  the  time  being, 
upon  one  hundred  men  belonging  to  the  dauphin's  com- 
pany, one  hundred  men  of  the  company  commanded  by 
the  governor  of  the  city,  two  hundred  citizen-soldiers, 
and  one  hundred  Jacobin  monks,  —  in  all,  five  hundred 
combatants. 

Scarcely  had  the  mayor,  the  governor  of  the  city,  aud 
the  other  magistrates  mustered  their  men,  when  loud 
cries  arose  from  the  ramparts,  and  people  were  seen  run- 


304  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

uing  through  the  streets  of  Orfeverie  and  St.  Andre, 
lifting  their  hands  to  heaven  as  if  in  despair. 

To  all  questions  their  answer  was  that  they  had  seen 
a  crowd  of  peasants  flying  across  the  plain  between 
Homblieres  and  Mesnil-St.-Laurent,  trampling  down  the 
corn  and  giving  unmistakable  signs  of  terror. 

Immediately  orders  were  given  to  close  the  gates  and 
man  the  ramparts. 

Lactance,  who  in  the  midst  of  danger  preserved  the 
calmness  of  a  true  Christian,  ordered  his  Jacobins  to  har- 
ness themselves  to  the  cannon,  to  place  eight  of  them 
upon  the  wall  which  extends  from  the  Isle  Gate  to  the 
Dameuse  Tower,  two  upon  the  wall  of  the  Vieux-Marche, 
three  between  the  high  tower  and  the  postern  of  the  lit- 
tle bridge,  and  two  upon  the  old  wall  in  the  Faubourg 
d'Isle. 

Theligny  and  Yvonnet,  who  were  on  horseback,  and 
who  were  satisfied  that  in  spite  of  their  long  journey 
since  the  evening  before,  their  horses  were  still  in  good 
condition,  rode  out  through  the  R  micourt  Gate,  forded 
the  river,  and  galloped  off  over  the  plain  to  discover,  if 
possible,  the  cause  of  the  flight  of  this  multitude  of 
people. 

The  first  individual  whom  they  saw  approaching  was 
using  his  right  hand  to  keep  in  place  as  well  as  possible 
his  nose  and  cheek,  while  with  the  other  he  was  making 
vigorous  signs  to  Yvonnet. 

Yvonnet  turned  in  his  direction  and  recognized 
Malemort. 

"  Ah  !  "  shouted  the  latter,  with  all  the  strength  of  his 
lungs,  "  to  arms  !  to  arms  !  " 

Yvonnet  redoubled  his  speed,  and  seeing  his  associate 
dripping  with  blood,  leaped  to  the  ground  and  examined 
his  wound.  It  was  a  terrible  wound,  which  would  have 


ST.   QUENTIN.  305 

fearfully  marred  an  uuscarred  face ;  but  in  Malemort's 
case  it  would  only  have  the  effect  of  adding  one  more 
scar  to  a  face  already  seamed  in  every  direction. 

Yvonnet  folded  his  handkerchief  in  four  thicknesses, 
made  an  opening  in  the  middle  for  Malemort's  nose  j 
then  laying  the  wounded  man  upon  the  ground  and  plac- 
ing his  head  on  his  knee,  he  bandaged  the  wounded  face 
as  easily  and  dexterously  as  the  most  skilful  surgeon 
could  have  done  it. 

Meantime  the  wounded  man  was  informing  The'ligny 
of  what  had  taken  place.  That  morning  the  enemy  had 
appeared  in  sight  of  Origny-Ste.-Benoite.  Malemort 
happened  to  be  there,  having  with  his  usual  instinct 
foreseen  that  that  would  be  the  first  point  of  attack,  and 
had  incited  the  citizens  to  defend  themselves.  Conse- 
quently they  had  withdrawn  into  the  chateau  with  all 
the  arms  and  ammunition  they  could  collect.  There 
they  held  their  ground  for  about  four  hours.  But  at- 
tacked by  the  whole  Spanish  vanguard,  the  chateau  had 
been  carried  by  assault.  Malemort  bad  done  wonders  in 
the  combat,  but  had  been  obliged  to  retreat.  Pressed 
close  by  four  Spaniards,  he  had  turned  upon  them,  and 
had  killed  two  of  them  ;  but  just  as  he  was  attacking  the 
third,  the  fourth  had  with  a  back-handed  blow  cut  a 
terrible  gash  in  his  face  just  below  the  eyes.  Then 
Malemort,  perceiving  the  impossibility  of  defending  him- 
self, blinded  as  he  was  by  such  a  wound,  had  fallen  over 
backward  with  a  loud  cry,  as  if  he  had  been  killed  by  the 
blow.  The  Spaniards  had  searched  him,  taken  from  him 
the  three  or  four  sous  which  he  possessed,  and  had  gone 
to  rejoin  their  companions,  who  were  engaged  in  a  pillage 
which  was  more  profitable.  Then  Malemort  got  up,  held 
his  nose  and  cheek  in  their  proper  place  as  well  as  he 
could  with  his  hand,  and  started  for  the  city  to  give  the 
VOL.  i.— 20 


306  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

alarm.  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  Malemort,  who 
was  ordinarily  the  foremost  in  attack  and  the  last  in 
retreat,  now  happened  to  be,  contrary  to  his  usual 
practice,  leading  the  fugitives. 

Theligny  and  Yvonnet  had  obtained  the  intelligence 
they  rode  out  to  seek.  Yvonnet  took  Malemort  up  be- 
hind him,  and  all  three  returned  to  St.  Quentin,  crying, 
"  To  arms  !  " 

The  entire  city  was  waiting  for  their  return.  In  a 
moment  it  was  known  that  the  enemy  was  only  Jour  or 
five  leagues  away ;  but  the  enthusiasm  of  the  citizens 
was  so  great  that  this  news  increased  their  courage 
instead  of  diminishing  it. 

Fortunately,  among  the  hundred  men  of  Monsieur  de 
Breuil,  there  were  forty  gunners;  among  whom  the 
fifteen  pieces  which  the  Jacobin  friai's  had  drawn  to  the 
ramparts  were  distributed.  Three  gunners  were  needed 
for  each  piece  ;  the  monks  offered  to  complete  the  num- 
ber, and  their  offer  was  accepted.  After  an  hour's  prac- 
tice they  were  as  proficient  as  the  regular  gunners.  And 
they  were  just  in  time,  for  in  about  an  hour  the  first  of 
the  Spanish  columns  came  in  sight. 

The  city  council  determined  to  send  a  messenger  to 
the  admiral  to  inform  him  of  the  situation ;  but  no  one 
was  willing  to  leave  the  city  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

Yvonnet  suggested  Malemort. 

Malemort  was  loud  in  his  objections ;  since  his  wounds 
had  been  dressed  he  felt,  he  said,  much  better  than  he 
had  for  a  long  time ;  it  was  fifteen  months  since  he  had 
had  an  opportunity  to  fight ;  his  blood  was  stifling  him, 
and  it  had  been  a  great  relief  to  lose  a  little  of  it. 

But  Yvonnet  pointed  out  to  him  that  a  horse  would 
be  furnished  him,  which  he  could  keep  ;  that  in  three  or 
four  days  he  would  return  to  the  city  in  the  train  of 


ST.   QUENTIN.  307 

Monsieur  I'Amiral,  and  that,  having  a  horse,  he  could 
in  the  case  of  sallies  go  much  farther  than  the  men  on 
foot. 

This  last  consideration  decided  Malemort.  Besides, 
Yvonnet  possessed  that  influence  over  Malemort  which 
nervous,  delicate  natures  always  exercise  over  powerful 
ones. 

Malemort  mounted  his  horse  and  galloped  off  in  the 
direction  of  La  Fere ;  and  judging  from  the  speed  to 
which  the  adventurer  urged  his  horse,  there  was  no  dan- 
ger but  that  in  an  hour  and  a  half  the  admiral  would  be 
informed. 

Meanwhile  the  gates  had  been  opened  to  admit  the 
poor  fugitives  from  Origny-Ste.-Benoite,  and  every  one 
in  the  city  had  been  eager  to  offer  them  hospitality. 
Messengers  were  then  despatched  to  the  surrounding 
villages  —  Harly,  Remicourt,  La  Chapelle,  Rocourt, 
L'Abbiette  —  to  bring  in  all  the  flour  and  grain  they 
could  find. 

The  enemy  advanced  in  a  phalanx,  whose  length  and 
depth  went  to  show  that  it  might  comprise  the  whole 
Spanish,  German,  and  Walloon  army,  —  that  is  to  say, 
an  army  of  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  men. 

Just  as  when  the  lava  flows  down  from  the  crater  of 
Vesuvius  or  JEtna.  the  houses  burn  and  the  trees  take 
fire,  even  before  the  torrent  of  flame  reaches  them,  so 
could  be  seen  in  front  of  the  black  line  of  this  advancing 
host  blazing  houses  and  the  village  trees  catching  fire. 

The  whole  city  watched  this  spectacle  from  the  top  of 
the  ramparts  of  Remicourt,  from  the  galleries  of  the 
Collegiate  Church,  which  overlooks  the  city,  and  from 
the  summit  of  the  Tour  St.  Jean,  the  Tour  Rouge,  and 
the  Tour  a  1'Eau ;  and  at  every  fresh  breaking  out  of 
fire  a  volley  of  imprecations  arose  which  might  be  likened 


308  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

to  a  flock  of  birds  of  ill-omen  spreading  their  wings  before 
pouncing  upon  their  prey. 

But  the  enemy's  troops  advanced  steadily,  driving  tha 
population  before  them  as  the  wind  blew  the  smoke  of 
the  fires.  For  some  time  the  gates  of  the  city  had  been 
kept  open  to  admit  the  fugitives  ;  but  soon  it  became 
necessary  to  close  them,  the  enemy  had  approached  so 
near.  Then  the  poor  peasants  of  the  burning  villages 
were  obliged  to  pass  around  the  city,  and  seek  refuge  in 
Vermand,  Pontrn,  and  Caulaincourt. 

Soon  the  drum  beat  the  signal  for  all  non-combatants 
to  leave  the  ramparts  and  the  towers.  At  last  there 
remained  upon  the  whole  line  of  ramparts  only  the  de- 
fenders, silent,  as  men  usually  are  at  the  approach  of 
danger. 

The  vanguard  could  now  be  distinctly  seen.  It  was 
composed  of  soldiers  armed  with  pistols,  who,  having 
crossed  the  Somme  between  Rouvroy  and  Harly,  spread 
themselves  about  round  the  outside  of  the  city,  occupy- 
ing the  approaches  to  the  gates  of  Remicourt,  St.  Jean, 
and  Ponthoille. 

Behind  the  pistol-bearers,  three  or  four  thousand  men, 
who  by  the  regularity  of  their  step  could  be  recognized 
as  belonging  to  those  old  Spanish  bands  who  were  con- 
sidered the  best  troops  in  the  world,  crossed  the  Somme 
in  their  turn,  and  took  the  direction  of  the  Faubourg 
d'Isle. 

"  Taking  everything  into  account,  my  dear  Yvonnet," 
said  Theligny,  "  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  it  is  in  the 
direction  of  your  lady-love's  house  that  the  music  will 
begin.  If  you  would  like  to  see  how  the  air  is  played, 
come  with  me." 

"  Most  willingly,  Lieutenant !  "  said  Yvonnet,  already 
feeling  through  his  whole  body  those  nervous  tremblings 


ST.   QUENTIX.  309 

which  always  preceded  the  approach  of  battle.  And 
with  lips  pressed  tight,  and  cheeks  somewhat  pale,  he 
followed  TheUigny  in  the  direction  of  the  Porte  d'Isle, 
toward  which  the  latter  led  nearly  half  of  his  men,  leav- 
ing the  rest  to  support  the  citizen-soldiers,  and  if  need  be 
set  them  an  example.  We  shall  see,  later,  that  it  was 
the  citizens  who  set  the  example  to  the  regular  troops, 
instead  of  receiving  it  from  them. 

The  detachment  arrived  at  the  Faubourg  d'Isle. 
Yvonnet  preceded  the  company  a  hundred  steps,  which 
gave  him  time  to  knock  at  Gudule's  window,  who  ran  to 
it  trembling,  and  to  advise  the  young  girl  to  descend 
into  the  lower  rooms,  since  in  all  probability  the  cannon- 
balls  would  play  skittles  with  the  chimneys  of  the  houses. 

He  had  hardly  finished  when,  as  if  to  emphasize  his 
words,  a  cannon-shot  whistled  by  and  demolished  the 
gable  of  a  house,  the  splinters  of  which  fell  like  a  shower 
of  meteors  around  the  young  man. 

Yvonnet  sprang  from  the  street  to  the  top  of  the 
stepping-stone,  clung  to  the  sill  of  the  window,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  flowers  pressed  his  lips  to  the  trembling 
lips  of  the  young  girl  in  a  very  tender  kiss,  and  dropping 
back  into  the  street,  said,  "  If  anything  should  happen  to 
me,  Gudule,  do  not  forget  me  too  quickly ;  and  when 
you  do  forget  me,  let  it  not  be  for  a  Spaniard,  German, 
or  Englishman." 

And  without  waiting  to  hear  the  young  girl's  protesta- 
tions of  everlasting  love,  he  made  his  way  toward  the  old 
wall,  and  arrived  behind  the  parapet  at  a  point  a  few 
steps  from  the  place  which  he  was  accustomed  to  scale  in 
his  nocturnal  wanderings. 

It  was  indeed  in  this  place  that  the  music  had  begun, 
as  had  been  foreseen  by  Theligny,  who  arrived  on  the 
scene  immediately  after  his  squire.  The  music  waa 


310  THE   DUKE'S  PAGE. 

noisy,  and  more  than  once  those  who  listened  to  it 
ducked  their  heads  in  fear ;  but  gradually  the  citizens, 
who  at  first  were  laughed  at  by  the  soldiers,  became  ac- 
customed to  the  danger,  and  then  they  were  more  furious 
than  the  others. 

But  the  Spaniards  rushed  on  in  such  numbers  that 
the  citizens  were  obliged  to  abandon  the  outer  rampart, 
which  they  had  first  attempted  to  defend,  but  which, 
without  parapet,  and  overlooked  on  all  sides  by  superior 
heights,  was  not  tenable.  Protected  by  the  two  pieces 
of  cannon,  and  by  the  arquebusiers  on  the  old  wall,  they 
made  their  retreat  in  good  order,  leaving  three  men 
killed,  but  carrying  away  their  wounded. 

Yvonnet  was  dragging  a  Spaniard  through  whose  body 
he  had  thrust  his  slender  blade,  and  whose  arquebuse  he 
had  taken  ;  as  he  had  not  had  an  opportunity  to  relieve 
him  also  of  the  cartridge-case  suspended  to  his  belt,  he 
took  the  dead  man  along  with  him,  hoping  also  that  his 
trouble  would  not  be  lost,  and  that  the  pockets  would 
prove  to  be  as  well  filled  as  the  belt. 

This  confidence  was  rewarded  ;  besides  their  three 
months'  wages,  which  had  been  paid  to  the  Spaniards 
the  evening  before  to  stimulate  their  zeal,  each  one  had 
stolen  a  little  during  the  five  or  six  days  of  the  campaign. 
We  could  not  say  whether  Yvonnet's  Spaniard  had  stolen 
more  or  less  than  the  others ;  but  on  going  through  his 
pockets  Yvonnet  seemed  very  well  satisfied  with  what  he 
had  found. 

As  soon  as  Theligny's  soldiers  and  the  armed  citizens 
had  left  the  outer  rampart,  it  was  taken  possession  of  by 
the  two  Spanish  chiefs,  Julian  Romero  and  Carondelet, 
who  seized  upon  all  the  houses  situated  on  the  road  to 
Guise,  as  well  as  on  that  to  La  Fere,  throughout  what 
was  called  the  upper  faubourg ;  but  when  they  attempted 


ST.    QUENTIN.  311 

to  cross  the  intervening  space  between  the  outer  boule- 
vard and  the  old  wall,  they  were  met  by  a  fire  so  well 
sustained  that  they  were  obliged  to  fall  back  to  the 
houses,  from  whose  windows  they  continued  to  fire  until 
the  increasing  darkness  put  au  end  to  the  combat. 

Not  until  this  time  had  Yvonnet  felt  free  to  look  about 
him.  As  he  did  so,  scarcely  ten  steps  behind  him,  al- 
most on  the  edge  of  the  rampart,  he  saw  the  pale  face  of 
a  charming  young  girl,  who,  under  the  pretext  of  look- 
ing for  her  father,  and  in  spite  of  the  warning  to  non- 
combatants,  had  ventured  upon  the  scene  of  conflict. 
Yvonnet  glanced  from  the  young  girl  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  My  dear  Monsieur  Yvonnet,"  said  the  latter  to  him, 
"  you  have  been  keeping  the  field  now  for  two  days  and 
nights,  and  must  be  weary ;  leave  to  others  the  duty  of 
watching  upon  the  ramparts,  and  rest  yourself  until  to- 
morrow. You  will  find  me  then  wherever  the  battle  is 
raging." 

Yvonnet  did  not  wait  for  a  second  command ;  he  sa- 
luted his  lieutenant,  cast  a  side  glance  at  Gudule,  and 
without  seeming  to  notice  the  young  girl  he  set  out  along 
the  road  as  if  to  enter  the  city.  But,  doubtless  on  ac- 
count of  the  darkness,  he  wandered  off  into  the  faubourg ; 
and  ten  minutes  later  he  made  his  appearance  in  that 
little  street,  opposite  that  little  window,  with  a  foot  upon 
that  stepping-stone  from  the  top  of  which  so  many  things 
could  be  accomplished. 

Yvonnet  made  use  of  it  to  grasp  two  little  white  hands 
which  immediately  emerged  from  this  window,  and  drew 
him  so  quickly  and  dexterously  into  the  interior  of  the 
apartment  that  it  was  easy  to  see  that  they  were  not 
unaccustomed  to  this  "practice. 

The  foregoing  events  took  place  August  2,  1557. 


312  THE  DUKE'S   PAGE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   ADMIRAL   KEEPS    HIS    PROMISE. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  Malemort  quickly  made  the 
six  leagues  between  St.  Queiitin  and  La  Fere,  aud  in  less 
than  an  hour  and  a  half  was  at  the  admiral's  door. 

In  this  man  who  rode  up  at  a  mad  gallop,  his  clothes 
covered  with  blood,  his  face  —  with  the  exception  of  eyes 
and  mouth  —  concealed  under  the  linen  bandage,  it  was  im- 
possible to  recognize  Malemort ;  but  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
he  was  the  bearer  of  important  tidings.  He  was  therefore 
immediately  shown  into  the  presence  of  Coligny.  The  ad- 
miral was  with  his  uncle  the  constable,  who  had  just 
arrived. 

Malemort  gave  an  account  of  the  taking  of  Origny- 
Ste.-Benoite,  the  massacre  of  those  who  attempted  to 
defend  the  chateau,  and  the  burning  of  the  villages  along 
the  route  followed  by  the  Spanish  army,  which  left  behind 
it  a  wake  of  flame  and  smoke. 

The  lines  of  action  to  be  followed  by  the  uncle  and  the 
nephew  were  immediately  marked  out.  Coligny,  with  five 
or  six  hundred  men,  was  to  set  out  immediately  for  St. 
Quentin  aud  defend  it  to  the  last  extremity.  The  con- 
stable, with  the  remainder  of  the  soldiers  present  in  camp, 
would  rejoin  the  army  of  the  Due  de  Severs,  who,  having 
only  eight  or  nine  thousand  men,  and  being  consequently 
too  weak  to  attack  the  Spanish  army,  which  numbered 
more  than  fifty  thousand  men,  was  watching  it  closely  and 
held  himself  in  readiness  to  profit  by  its  mistakes.  This 


THE   ADMIRAL   KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  313 

little  band  was  performing  its  manoeuvres  on  the  borders 
of  the  Lyonese  and  La  Thierache. 

The  admiral  at  once  gave  orders  to  sound  "  Boots  and 
saddles  !  "  and  to  beat  the  signal  for  departure.  On  Mai- 
dent's  advice,  whom  he  took  for  a  guide,  the  admiral  de- 
cided to  follow  the  road  to  Ham,  instead  of  the  direct  road. 
From  the  information  received,  he  calculated  that  the 
Spaniards  would  attack  St.  Quentin  on  the  sides  toward 
Re'inicourt,  the  Faubourg  St.  Jean,  and  the  Faubourg  d'Isle. 
Consequently  on  those  three  sides  Coligny  would  meet 
with  hindrance  in  his  attempt  to  enter  the  city.  Accord- 
ing to  Maldent,  the  only  road  which  they  were  likely  to 
find  open  was  that  leading  from  Ham  to  St.  Quentin, 
which  ran  through  marshes  almost  impassable  except  for 
those  who  were  acquainted  with  the  paths. 

The  admiral  took  with  him  the  companies  of  infantry 
commanded  severally  by  Captains  Saint-Andre,  Rauibouil- 
let,  and  Louis  Poy. 

But  the  company  of  Louis  Poy  having  arrived  from 
Gascony  on  that  very  day,  the  men  were  so  fatigued  that 
they  were  obliged  to  come  to  a  halt  on  the  way  from  La 
Fere  to  Ham.  Just  as  the  constable  and  admiral  were 
leaving  La  Fere,  the  constable  accompanying  the  admiral 
a  short  distance  on  his  way  to  Ham,  they  met  in  the 
middle  of  the  road,  sitting  upon  his  haunches  and  stopping 
their  progress,  a  big  black  dog  which  began  to  howl  with 
all  its  might.  The  dog  was  driven  away ;  but  after  run- 
ning on  a  hundred  steps,  he  seated  himself  again  in  the 
middle  of  the  road  and  howled  more  dismally  than  before. 
Driven  away  again,  he  for  the  third  time  played  the  same 
trick,  each  time  howling  louder  and  more  desperately. 

Then  the  constable,  turning  to  Monsieur  de  Coligny, 
said,  "  What  the  devil  do  you  think  this  is,  Nephew  1 " 

"  Why,"  replied  the  admiral,  "  I  think  that  it  is  very 


314  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

disagreeable  music,  Monsieur,  and  that  we  are  about  to 
furnish  the  comedy  for  it." 

"  Yes,  and  perhaps  the  tragedy  also,"  replied  the 
constable. 

Upon  this,  the  uncle  and  nephew  embraced,  and  the 
admiral  continued  on  his  way  to  Ham ;  the  constable  re- 
turning to  La  Fere,  which  place  he  left  again  that  very 
evening. 

But  on  his  departure  from  the  city,  another  presage 
awaited  him.  Scarcely  was  he  a  league  away  on  his  road 
to  Laon  when  a  sort  of  pilgrim,  wearing  a  long  robe  and 
having  a  long  beard,  seized  the  bridle  of  his  horse,  crying, 
"  Montniorency  !  Montmorency !  I  declare  to  you  that  in 
three  days  all  your  glory  will  be  in  ashes  ! " 

"Be  it  so,"  said  the  constable ;  " but  I  declare  to  you 
that  in  much  less  time  your  jaw-bone  will  be  in  pieces." 
And  he  gave  him  such  a  blow  with  the  fist  that  the  poor 
prophet  fell  fainting  to  the  ground,  with  his  jaw-bone 
dislocated. 

The  constable  continued  on  his  way  as  the  admiral  had 
donej  each  of  them  having  met  his  evil  omen. 

The  admiral  arrived  at  Ham  about  five  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  His  determination  was  to  pursue  his  journey 
without  stopping  until  he  should  reach  St.  Quentin.  Con- 
sequently, after  the  soldiers  had  taken  an  hour's  rest,  he 
resumed  bis  march  with  his  mounted  men-at-arms  and  two 
companies  of  infantry  only. 

At  Hani  Messieurs  Jarnac  and  Luzarches  made  every 
effort  to  retain  him,  pointing  out  to  him  the  service  he 
might  render  in  the  open  country,  and  offering  to  go  to 
St.  Quentin  in  his  place ;  but  the  admiral  had  answered, 
"  I  would  rather  lose  all  that  I  have  than  fail  to  carry  to 
these  brave  people,  so  eager  to  defend  their  city,  the  aid  I 
have  promised  them ! "  And,  as  we  have  said,  he  set 


THE  ADMIRAL  KEEPS   HIS    PROMISE.  315 

out  without  a  moment's  delay,  at  the  hour  he  had 
named. 

At  the  gates  of  Ham  he  met  the  Abbe  de  St.  Prix- 
This  was  a  most  noble  prelate,  named  Jacques  de  La 
Motte  ;  he  was  canon  at  once  of  St.  Quentin,  Chartres, 
Paris,  and  Le  Mans  ;  he  held,  besides,  two  priories,  and 
when  he  died  he  had  served  as  canon  under  five  kings, 
Francois  I.  being  the  first. 

Coligny,  thinking  that  the  illustrious  traveller  had  just 
come  from  St.  Quentin,  approached  him ;  soldier  and 
churchman  made  themselves  known  to  each  other. 

The  abbe,  as  soon  as  the  first  cannon-shot  was  fired  at 
the  Porte  d'Isle,  had  left  the  city  by  the  Faubourg  de 
Pouthoille,  and  was  going  with  all  speed  to  inform  the 
king  of  the  situation  of  St.  Quentin  and  to  demand  his 
aid.  Thus,  as  the  admiral  had  foreseen,  the  only  road 
open  was  the  one  he  had  taken. 

"  Monsieur  1'Abbe,"  said  the  admiral  to  the  prelate, 
"  since  you  are  going  to  see  the  king,  be  so  kind  as  to  tell 
his  Majesty  that  you  met  me  at  the  head  of  a  good  com- 
pany, and  hoping  with  the  aid  of  God  to  enter  St.  Quentin 
to-night,  where  I  hope  to  do  good  service."  And  saluting 
the  abbe,  he  went  on  his  way. 

A  league  farther  on  he  began  to  see  the  fugitives  from 
Origny-Ste.-Beuoite  and  the  other  villages  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Quentin,  who,  unable  to  find  refuge  in  the 
city,  had  been  obliged  to  seek  it  elsewhere.  The  unfor- 
tunate fugitives  were  worn  out  with  fatigue,  —  some  still 
dragging  themselves  along,'  others  lying  under  the  shade 
of  trees  and  perishing  with  hunger  and  weariness.  The 
admiral  bestowed  on  them  what  help  he  could,  and  con- 
tinued his  journey. 

About  two  leagues  from  St.  Quentin  night  overtook 
them  •  but  Malemort  was  there,  and  he  made  himself  re- 


316  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

sponsible  for  the  safety  of  all  who  should  follow  him.  In 
the  hope  of  large  reward  at  the  end  of  the  journey,  he 
offered,  as  proof  of  his  good  faith,  to  walk  before  the  admi- 
ral's horse  with  a  rope  about  his  neck. 

Captain  Eambouillet's  band  followed  the  road  indicated 
by  Maldent ;  but  Captain  Saint-Andre  pretended  that  he 
had  a  good  guide  of  his  own,  and  preferred  to  follow  him. 
Each  captain  was  so  self-confident  that  the  admiral  did 
not  dare  to  require  them  to  rely,  as  he  did,  upon  Maldent. 
Monsieur  de  Saint-Andre  therefore  went  his  own  way, 
and  left  the  admiral  to  pursue  his. 

No  obstacle  presented  itself  on  the  road  to  St.  Quentin. 
The  city  had  not  been  wholly  surrounded  :  one  of  its 
sides,  that  of  the  Faubourg  de  Ponthoille,  had  been  re- 
served for  the  English  army,  which  might  arrive  at  any 
moment ;  and  it  was  precisely  on  this  side  that  the  admi- 
ral had  approached. 

On  the  heights  of  Savy  —  that  is  to  say,  three  quarters 
of  a  league  from  St.  Quentin  —  Coligny  had  taken  a  pre- 
cautionary survey  of  the  situation,  and  had  seen  the  fires 
of  the  hostile  army  extending  from  the  chapel  of  Epargne- 
maillc  almost  as  far  as  Gaillard.  It  seemed  to  the  admiral 
as  if  the  way  had  been  purposely  made  easy  for  his  little 
troop ;  and  the  facility  offered  made  him  not  a  little  un- 
easy, for  he  feared  an  ambuscade. 

Procope,  whom  frequent  conversations  with  Maldent 
had  rendered  familiar  with  the  patois  of  Picardy,  offered 
to  go  and  reconnoitre ;  the  admiral  consented,  and  ordered 
a  halt. 

In  three  quarters  of  an  hour  the  adventurer  returned  ; 
the  road  was  perfectly  clear,  and  he  had  been  able  to  ap- 
proach so  near  the  ramparts  that  he  could  see  the  sentinel 
pacing  between  the  gate  of  Ponthoille  and  the  tower  oppo- 
site the  Oisons  meadows. 


THE  ADMIRAL  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  317 

When  just  beyond  the  little  arm  of  the  river,  which  at 
that  period  ran  along  the  foot  of  the  wall,  Procope  had 
whistled  to  the  sentinel,  who  had  stopped  pacing,  and 
strained  his  eyes  to  see  through  the  darkness.  Procope 
had  whistled  a  second  time,  and  confident  that  he  had 
been  seen,  he  had  announced  in  a  low  voice  the  admiral's 
approach.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  watch  at  the  gate 
of  Ponthoille  would  be  informed,  and  the  admiral  would 
be  admitted  immediately  upon  his  arrival. 

Coligny  praised  Procope's  intelligence,  approved  all  he 
had  done,  and  easier  in  mind  once  more  set  out,  still 
under  the  guidance  of  Maiden t. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  gate  a  man  sprang  out  of  a 
trench ;  he  held  in  his  hand  a  pistol,  ready  to  tire  if  the 
troop  should  prove  to  be  a  hostile  one.  On  the  ramparts 
patches  of  denser  darkness  were  seen.  A  hundred  men 
had  been  called  to  this  point  to  guard  against  any  surprise 
which  might  be  hidden  under  the  intelligence  which  Pro- 
cope  had  confided  to  the  sentinel. 

The  man  with  the  pistol,  who  sprang  from  the  trench, 
was  Lieutenant  Theligny.  He  advanced,  saying,  "  France 
and  The'ligny ! " 

"  France  and  Coligny  !  "  replied  the  admiral. 

The  recognition  was  complete.  It  was  indeed  the  prom- 
ised reinforcement ;  the  gates  were  immediately  opened,  and 
the  admiral  entered  with  his  hundred  and  twenty  men. 

The  news  of  the  arrival  soon  spread  through  the  town ; 
and  the  inhabitants,  half  dressed,  ran  out  of  their  houses 
uttering  cries  of  joy.  Many  wished  to  illuminate ;  some 
had  already  begun  to  do  so. 

The  admiral  ordered  them  to  be  silent  and  to  put  out 
their  lights.  He  feared  that  the  hostile  army  would  be 
put  on  the  alert,  and  would  redouble  their  vigilance. 
Besides,  Saint-Andre'  and  his  troop  had  not  yet  arrived. 


318  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  nothing  had  been  heard 
of  them.  Then,  when  day  was  about  to  dawn,  and  it 
became  a  matter  of  urgent  importance  that  they  should 
not  encounter  any  detachment  of  the  Spanish  army,  Lac- 
tance  came  forward  with  six  or  eight  of  his  Jacobins. 
These  good  fathers,  whose  dress  would  shield  them  from 
all  suspicion,  offered  to  spread  themselves  out  over  the 
country  for  the  distance  of  a  league  or  two,  and  bring 
back  the  lost  troops. 

Their  offer  was  accepted ;  and  they  departed,  some 
through  the  gate  of  Ponthoille  and  some  through  the 
postern  St.  Catherine. 

Between  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  first 
troop,  of  sixty  men,  appeared,  led  by  two  Jacobin  fathers. 
At  six  o'clock  a  second  troop,  of  fifty-five  or  sixty  men, 
also  led  by  a  monk,  arrived,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Saint- Andre  himself.  Their  guide  had  lost  his  way,  and 
they  had  gone  astray  with  him. 

The  other  monks  came  in  one  after  another  ;  and  God, 
who  protected  them,  had  thus  far  permitted  no  mis- 
fortune to  overtake  them.  As  soon  as  all  the  men  had 
returned,  Coligny  ordered  the  roll  to  be  called.  He  found 
that  his  troops  had  all  arrived,  and  that  the  garrison  was 
reinforced  by  two  hundred  and  fifty  men.  This  was 
numerically  a  feeble  addition ;  but  the  presence  of  their 
leader,  by  giving  courage  to  the  more  timid,  had  produced 
an  immense  moral  effect. 

Theligny,  the  mayor,  and  the  governor  of  the  city  gave 
the  admiral  an  exact  account  of  what  had  taken  place  the 
day  before.  More  than  ever  convinced  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  defend  the  Faubourg  d'Isle,  even  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity, Coligny  turned  his  steps  in  that  direction.  On 
top  of  the  old  wall,  in  the  midst  of  the  balls  which 
whistled  around  him,  he  decided  that  at  nightfall  a 


THE  ADMIRAL  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  319 

sally  should  be  made  for  the  purpose  of  burning  the 
neighboring  houses,  from  the  interior  of  which  the  Span- 
iards were  continually  annoying  the  soldiers  who  guarded 
the  ramparts.  If  they  succeeded  and  could  retake  from 
the  enemy  the  boulevard  they  had  captured  the  day 
before,  they  could  then  dig  a  trench  in  front  of  the  old 
wall,  in  order  to  cover  it  with  a  mask  and  protect  it 
against  the  assaults  of  the  besiegers. 

Meantime  and  in  order  to  concentrate  upon  this  point 
every  means  of  defence  possible,  the  admiral  also  ordered 
them  to  open  an  embrasure  in  each  side  of  the  rampart, 
and  to  place  in  each  two  pieces  of  cannon. 

When  the  execution  of  these  important  measures  had 
been  provided  for,  Coligny  judged  it  expedient  to  ex- 
amine into  the  quality  and  number  of  the  enemy  con- 
fronting him.  It  was  easy,  by  the  banners  upon  their 
tents,  to  recognize  the  nationality  of  the  soldiers  and  of 
the  princes  who  commanded  them. 

From  the  place  where  he  stood,  that  is  to  say,  the 
foremost  angle  of  the  old  wall,  the  admiral  perceived  on 
his  right  three  camps  perfectly  distinct  from  one  another, 
each  situated  on  a  hill.  The  most  distant  camp  was  that 
of  Count  Schwarzbourg.  The  intermediate  camp  was 
that  of  Count  Egmont  and  Count  Horn,  —  those  two  in- 
separables who  were  not  divided  even  in  death.  The 
nearest  camp  was  that  of  Emmanuel  Philibert. 

Directly  opposite  the  admiral  were  the  Spanish  troops 
which  had  made  the  attack  the  day  before,  and  which 
were  commanded  by  Don  Julian  Romero  and  Captain 
Carondelet.  Finally,  on  his  left  was  the  extreme  point 
of  the  principal  camp.  This  camp,  which  occupied 
nearly  half  a  league  of  ground,  and  in  which  the  Duke 
of  Savoy  later  pitched  his  tents,  was  almost  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  the  river  Somme,  which  forms  a  semicircle 


320  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

from  its  source  to  the  point  where  it  flows  between  St.  Quen- 
tin  and  the  Faubourg  d'Isle.  It  extended  along  the  entire 
side  of  the  wall,  from  the  river  to  the  Faubourg  St.  Jean. 

This  camp  contained  the  quarters  of  Field-Marshal 
Binincourt,  Margrave  de  Berg,  Margrave  de  Valle,  the 
Duke  of  Saimona,  Count  Schwarzbourg,  Count  Mansfield, 
Bernardo  de  Mendoza,  Ferdinand  de  Gonzaga,  the  Bishop 
of  Arras,  Count  de  Feria,  Count  Rinago,  Marshal  de 
Carcheris,  Duke  Eric  of  Brunswick,  Duke  Ernest  of 
Brunswick,  Don  Juan  Manrico.  Messire  de  Bossu,  Mes- 
sire  de  Berlaimont,  Comte  de  Megue,  and  Sieur  Lazare 
Swendy,  and  lastly,  the  quarters  of  the  heavy  cavalry, 
the  halberdiers,  and  the  rebels. 

Between  the  tower  of  St.  Jean  and  the  big  tower  — 
that  is  to  say,  opposite  to  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  —  extended 
the  Flemish  camp  ;  and  a  battery  was  erected  which  threw 
such  a  fire  that  until  this  day  the  road  where  it  stood  is 
called  the  street  of  Hell. 

Finally,  there  remained  that  side  of  the  city  which 
extends  from  the  Faubourg  de  Ponthoille  to  Tourival, 
which,  as  we  have  said,  was  entirely  unoccupied,  —  this 
position  having  been  reserved  for  the  English  army, 
which  had  not  yet  arrived. 

This  preparatory  inspection  over,  the  admiral  descended 
to  the  town-house.  There  he  asked  for  a  list  of  all  the 
able  men,  and  commanded  a  search  to  be  made  for  all  the 
arms  in  the  city ;  he  ordered  a  paper  to  be  drawn  up  for 
the  signature  of  every  man  or  woman  who  was  willing  to 
assist  at  the  earthworks;  he  commanded  a  collection  to 
be  made  of  all  the  tools,  baskets,  shovels,  and  picks,  and 
an  inventory  to  be  drawn  up  of  all  the  grain,  flour,  wine, 
cattle,  and  provisions  of  all  sorts,  whether  in  public  stores 
or  private  houses,  —  so  that  the  consumption  of  material 
might  be  regulated,  and  pillage  prevented.  And  finally, 


THE  ADMIRAL  KEEPS  HIS  PROMISE.  321 

tie  demanded  au  exact  statement  of  the  number  of  guns 
and  gunners  ready  for  service,  and  of  the  quantity  of 
ammunition  available. 

In  his  tour  of  inspection,  the  admiral  had  seen  only 
two  mills,  —  a  windmill  situated  at  the  end  of  the  Rue 
du  Billon,  near  the  Tour  Rouge,  and  a  water-mill  upon 
the  Somme,  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle.  These  were  not 
enough  to  grind  corn  sufficient  for  the  consumption  of  a 
city  of  twenty  thousand  souls.  He  gave  expression  to 
this  fear.  But  the  aldermen  reassured  him  by  affirming 
that  there  were  in  the  city  fifteen  or  sixteen  hand-mills, 
which  could  be  continuously  worked  by  the  application 
of  horse  power,  and  would  be  sufficient  for  the  provision- 
ing of  the  city  and  garrison. 

Then  Coligny  arranged  the  quarters  of  the  companies, 
dividing  the  city  into  four  parts,  and  subdividing  these 
into  sixteen  parts,  to  the  government  of  which  he  ap- 
pointed sixteen  citizens  and  sixteen  officers,  so  that  in  all 
decisions  there  might  be  harmony  between  the  two  parties. 
The  military  troop  was  assigned  to  the  defence  of  the  walls 
conjointly  with  the  citizen  soldiers,  each  band  so  composed 
having  its  own  special  locality  to  protect.  The  city  coun- 
cil remained  in  permanent  session,  so  as  to  be  ready  to 
answer  without  delay  all  applications  addressed  to  it. 

Finally,  the  admiral  presented  to  the  city  government 
the  gentlemen  who  constituted  what  at  the  present  time 
would  be  called  his  staff,  and  who  were  to  be  his  repre- 
sentatives with  the  magistrates.  In  addition  to,  and  inde- 
pendent of  these  officers,  Captain  Languetot  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  artillery,  with  the  command  of  ten  men- 
at-arms,  whose  office  it  was  to  measure  for  the  gunners  the 
quantity  of  powder  used  each  day,  and  who  were  par- 
ticularly charged  with  seeing  that  this  precious  powder 
was  protected  from  every  danger. 

VOL.  I.  —  21 


322  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

In  going  over  the  ramparts  Coligny  had  observed  near 
the  gate  St.  Jean,  scarcely  a  hundred  steps  from  the  wall, 
a  great  number  of  gardens  filled  with  fruit-trees  and  sur- 
rounded with  tall  and  thick  hedges ;  these  hedges  and  trees 
offered  the  enemy  a  shelter  under  which  they  could  ap- 
proach the  ramparts.  As  these  gardens  belonged  to  the 
principal  citizens,  the  admiral  asked  the  council's  permis- 
sion to  cut  them  down.  Their  consent  was  obtained  with- 
out any  difficulty,  and  every  carpenter  in  the  city  was  put 
into  requisition  to  cut  down  the  trees  and  hedges.  Of  the 
brushwood  fascines  were  to  be  made. 

Then,  seeing  the  assembly  united  and  harmonious,  — 
nobles,  bourgeois,  and  soldiers  animated  if  not  by  the 
same  enthusiasm,  at  least  by  an  equal  energy,  —  Coligny 
retired  to  the  governor's  house,  where  he  had  engaged  to 
meet  the  officers  of  the  compaiiies. 

This  house  was  situated  in  the  Rue  de  la  Monnaie,  be- 
tween the  Templerie  and  the  Jacobins.  There  the  officers 
were  made  acquainted  with  all  the  admiral  had  done. 
He  informed  them  of  the  good  feeling  existing  among  the 
citizens,  and  of  the  general  determination  to  defend  the 
city  to  the  last  extremity,  and  requested  them,  while  al- 
leviating, so  far  as  they  were  able,  the  hardships  of  the 
situation,  to  maintain  harmony  between  those  two  powers 
ordinarily  so  difficult  to  reconcile,  the  army  and  the  bour- 
geoisie. Each  captain  was  to  furnish  an  account  of  his 
company,  so  that  the  admiral  should  know  exactly  the 
number  of  the  men  at  his  command,  and  the  number  of 
mouths  he  was  obliged  to  feed. 

Then  ascending  with  an  engineer  to  the  gallery  of  the 
collegiate  church,  the  admiral  pointed  out  from  this  post 
of  observation,  which  overlooked  the  whole  circumvallation 
of  the  city,  the  excavations  to  be  made  and  the  elevations 
to  be  levelled. 


THfc   ADMIRAL   KEEPS   HIS   PROMISE.  323 

When  these  orders  had  been  given,  and  he  was  alone  with 
the  officer  whom  he  intended  to  send  to  the  constable  for  a 
reinforcement  of  troops,  while  it  was  still  possible  to  re- 
victual  the  place,  he  decided  that  the  Savy  road,  hidden 
by  vines,  and  winding  through  a  chain  of  little  hills  by  the 
chapel  of  Epargnemaille,  was  the  most  favorable  one  by 
which  to  lead  the  troops  to  the  place.  Captain  Saint- 
Andre  had  indeed  in  open  day  arrived  unobserved  from 
this  direction. 

All  these  arrangements  having  been  completed,  Coligny 
was  reminded  at  last  that  he  was  a  man,  and  returned  to 
the  house  to  take  a  few  hours  of  rest. 


324  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ADVENTURERS'  TENT. 

WHILE  all  these  measures  for  the  public  safety  -were  being 
ordered  by  Coligny,  upon  whom  rested  the  entire  responsi- 
bility of  the  defence  of  the  city,  and  who,  somewhat  reas- 
sured, as  we  have  said,  by  the  ardor  of  the  soldiers  and  the 
courage  of  the  bourgeois,  had  returned  to  the  governor's 
house  to  take  the  rest  he  so  much  needed,  —  our  adven- 
turers, also  ready  to  fight  in  defence  of  the  city  because 
Coligny  had  hired  them,  indifferent  to  everything,  await- 
ing patiently  the  first  signal  of  the  trumpet  and  drum,  had 
pitched  their  tent  about  a  hundred  steps  from  the  Porte 
d'Isle,  and  established  their  quarters  on  an  unoccupied  piece 
of  ground  which  extended,  opposite  the  Cordeliers,  from 
the  extremity  of  the  Rue  Wager  to  the  foot  of  the  wall. 
Upon  the  entrance  of  Coligny  into  St.  Quentin,  they 
were  once  more  reunited,  and  set  about  adjusting  their 
accounts. 

Yvonnet  had  just  turned  into  the  treasury  half  of  the 
sum  which  he  owed  to  the  liberality  of  King  Henri  II. ; 
Procope,  half  of  the  gratuities  he  had  received  as  scribe  ', 
Maldent,  half  the  wages  which  had  been  paid  him  as  guide  ; 
Malemort,  the  reward  he  had  earned  in  going,  wounded  as 
he  was,  to  inform  Coligny  of  the  arrival  of  the  Spaniards ; 
and  lastly,  Pilletrousse,  half  of  what  he  had  gained  in 
cutting  up  and  selling  the  beef  procured  by  the  two 
Scharfensteins. 


THE  ADVENTURERS'   TENT.  325 

As  for  the  latter,  as  they  had  not  been  concerned  in  any 
combat,  they  had  nothing  to  add  to  the  general  fund,  and 
occupied  themselves,  without  anxiety  as  to  the  future  want 
of  supplies  the  blockade  of  the  city  might  occasion,  in 
roasting  the  quarter  of  beef  remaining  after  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  other  three  quarters  by  Pilletrousse. 

Lactance  brought  two  great  bags  of  corn  and  a  bag  of 
beans,  which  he  proffered  as  his  contribution,  instead  of 
money  ;  it  was  a  present  to  our  adventurers  from  the  con- 
vent of  the  Jacobins,  whose  monks,  having  enlisted,  had 
chosen,  as  we  know,  Lactance  for  their  captain. 

Fracasso  continued  his  fruitless  search  for  a  rhyme  for 
the  verb  perdre. 

Under  a  sort  of  shed,  hastily  built,  the  two  horses, 
Yvonnet's  and  Malemort's,  chewed  their  straw  and  enjoyed 
their  oats.  A  portable  mill  was  set  up  under  this  shed, 
not  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  the  horses,  but  that  it 
might  be  under  cover ;  the  task  of  turning  it  belonged  to 
Heiurich  and  Frantz. 

The  pecuniary  affairs  of  the  society  were  thus  in  good 
condition;  forty  gold  crowns,  carefully  counted  by  Pro- 
cope,  counted  again  by  Maldent,  and  laid  in  a  pile  by 
Pilletrousse,  were  ready  to  be  put  into  the  society's 
cash-box. 

If  the  society  should  continue  another  year  in  this  pros- 
perity, Procope  intended  to  purchase  a  notary's  or  attor- 
ney's office  ;  Maldent  proposed  to  buy  a  little  farm  situated 
on  the  road  from  La  Fere  to  Ham,  of  which  he  had  knowl- 
edge from  good  authority,  being,  as  we  have  said,  a  native 
of  the  country;  Yvonnet  expected  to  marry  some  rich 
heiress,  to  whose  hand  his  elegance  and  his  fortune  would 
now  enable  him  to  urge  a  double  claim  ;  Pilletrousse  would 
like  to  establish  a  large  market  business  either  in  the  cap- 
ital or  in  some  leading  provincial  town ;  Fracasso's  idea 


326  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

was  to  publish  his  poems  after  the  fashion  of  Monsieur 
Ronsard  and  Monsieur  Jodelle  ;  finally,  Maleuiort  wished 
for  an  opportunity  to  fight  on  his  own  account  and  as  long 
as  it  should  suit  him ;  this  would  save  him  from  the  re- 
proaches of  his  comrades  and  fellow-soldiers,  who  con- 
stantly admonished  him  upon  his  indifference  to  the 
safety  of  his  person. 

As  to  the  two  Scharfensteins,  they  had  no  project, 
having  no  forethought. 

Just  as  Maldent  had  finished  counting  the  crowns,  and 
Pilletrousse  had  placed  the  last  of  them  on  the  pile,  a 
shadow  was  cast  upon  the  adventurers,  indicating  that  an 
opaque  body  had  been  interposed  between  them  and  the 
light.  Instinctively,  Procope  extended  his  hand  toward  the 
gold ;  Maldent,  still  more  quickly,  placed  his  hat  on  it. 

Yvonnet  turned  round.  The  same  young  man  who  had 
wished  to  buy  his  horse  was  standing  in  the  entrance  of 
the  tent.  Quickly  as  Maldent  had  covered  the  money 
with  his  hat,  the  unknown  had  seen  it,  and  with  the  keen 
eye  of  a  man  to  whom  estimates  of  this  kind  are  familiar, 
lie  had  calculated  that  the  sum  which  they  had  hastened 
to  conceal  from  his  view  must  amount  to  fifty  gold 
crowns. 

"  Ah,  ah  ! "  he  said,  "  it  seems  that  the  harvest  has 
been  good !  I  fear  that  I  come  at  a  bad  time  for  business  ; 
you  will  be  as  hard  as  the  devil,  my  masters." 

"  That  depends  on  what  the  business  is,"  said  Procope. 

"  There  are  different  kinds  of  business,"  said  Maldent. 

"  Is  there  any  chance  of  gain  outside  of  your  proposi- 
tion1?" asked  Pilletrousse. 

"  If  there  is  any  fighting  to  do,  I  might  accommodate 
you,"  said  Malemort. 

"  If  it  were  not  an  expedition  against  some  church  or 
some  convent,  it  might  be  arranged,"  said  Lactance. 


THE  ADVENTURERS'  TENT.  327 

"  Especially  if  it  could  be  executed  by  moonlight,"  said 
Fracasso.  "  I  like  night  expeditions ;  they  are  the  only 
ones  that  are  poetical  and  picturesque." 

Yvonnet  said  nothing,  but  regarded  the  stranger 
attentively. 

The  two  Scharfensteins  were  absorbed  in  the  cooking 
of  their  piece  of  beef. 

These  observations,  each  one  of  which  was  characteristic 
of  the  individual  who  made  it,  were  uttered  almost  simul- 
taneously by  the  adventurers. 

The  young  man  smiled.  He  replied  to  all  the  questions 
at  the  same  time,  looking  successively  at  that  one  of  the 
adventurers  whose  question  he  was  for  the  moment 
answering. 

"Yes,  the  business  is  serious,"  he  said,  "very  serious 
indeed ;  and  although  there  may  be  chances  of  gain  outside 
of  my  proposal,  as  there  will  be  some  fighting  to  do,  I  in- 
tend to  offer  you  a  reasonable  sum,  which  ought  to  satisfy 
any  one.  And  those  religiously  disposed  may  rest  as- 
sured," he  added  ;  "  for  it  concerns  neither  convent  nor 
church,  and  it  is  probable  that  for  greater  security  we  shall 
act  at  night.  I  must  say,  however,  that  I  prefer  a  dark 
night  to  a  bright  one." 

"  Then,"  said  Procope,  who  usually  took  it  upon  himself 
to  discuss  the  interests  of  the  society,  "  unfold  your  scheme, 
and  let  us  see  if  it  is  acceptable." 

"  You  must  engage  to  follow  me,  whether  it  be  to  a  noc- 
turnal expedition  or  to  a  skirmish,  a  battle,  or  a  combat 
in  broad  day." 

"  And  what  shall  we  have  to  do  in  this  nocturnal  expe- 
dition, in  this  skirmish,  this  combat,  or  this  battle  ? " 

"  You  will  have  to  attack  the  person  whom  I  shall  at- 
tack ;  yon  will  have  to  surround  and  kill  him." 

"  And  what  if  he  surrenders  ? " 


328  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  I  warn  you  beforehand  that  I  shall  show  no  mercy." 

"  Peste  !  "  said  Procope,  "  it  is  a  mortal  hatred,  then  1 " 

"  Mortal !  —  you  have  said  it,  my  friend." 

"  Good  ! "  muttered  Malemort,  rubbing  his  hands ;  "  that 
is  what  I  call  talking." 

"But,"  said  Maldent,  "if  the  ransom  were  good,  it 
seems  to  me  it  would  be  better  to  receive  ransom  than 
to  kill." 

"  I  will  negotiate  for  the  ransom  and  the  death  at  the 
same  time,  in  order  that  these  two  cases  may  be  provided 
for." 

"  That  is  to  say,"  replied  Procope,  "  that  you  buy  him 
of  us,  living  or  dead  1 " 

"  Living  or  dead,  —  that  is  it." 

"  How  much  for  the  dead,  and  how  much  for  the 
living  1 " 

"  The  same  price." 

"And  yet,"  said  Maldent,  "it  seems  to  me  that  a  living 
man  is  worth  much  more  than  a  dead  one." 

"  No ;  for  I  shall  buy  the  living  man  that  he  may  be- 
come a  dead  one." 

""Well,"  said  Procope,  "how  much  will  you  give?" 

"  One  moment,  Procope,"  said  Yvonnet ;  "  let  Monsieur 
de  "Waldeck  tell  us  who  this  person  is  1 " 

The  young  man  started  back.  "  You  spoke  a  name  ! " 
he  said. 

"Your  name,  Monsieur,"  replied  Yvonnet,  while  the 
adventurers  looked  at  one  another,  beginning  to  compre- 
hend that  it  was  the  lover  of  Mademoiselle  Gudule  to 
whom  they  might  best  leave  the  defence  of  their 
interests. 

The  young  man  knit  his  thick  red  brow.  "And  how 
do  you  happen  to  know  me  1 "  he  asked. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  tell  you  1 "  replied  Yvonnet. 


THE  ADVENTURERS'  TENT.  329 

Waldeck  hesitated. 

"  Recall  the  Chateau  du  Parcq,"  continued  the 
adventurer. 

Waldeck  turned  pale. 

"  Recall  the  forest  of  St.  Pol-sur-Ternoise." 

"  It  is  just  because  I  do  recall  it  that  I  am  here,  and 
that  I  make  this  proposal  which  you  are  discussing." 

"  Then  it  is  the  Duke  Emmanuel  Philibert  whom  you 
wish  us  to  kill  ?  "  said  Yvonnet,  quietly. 

"  Peste  !  "  cried  Procope,  "  the  Duke  of  Savoy  ! " 

"  You  see  that  it  is  best  to  be  explicit,"  said  Yvonnet 
to  his  companions,  casting  at  them  a  side  glance. 

"  And  why  should  we  not  kill  the  Duke  of  Savoy  1 " 
cried  Malemort. 

"  I  do  not  say  we  should  not  kill  the  Duke  of  Savoy," 
replied  Procope. 

"  All  right !  "  said  Malemort ;  "  the  Duke  of  Savoy  is 
our  enemy,  since  we  are  engaged  to  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  and 
I  do  not  see  why  we  should  not  kill  the  Duke  of  Savoy  as 
well  as  another." 

"  You  are  perfectly  right,  Malemort,"  replied  Procope  ; 
"  we  can  kill  the  Duke  of  Savoy  as  well  as  another,  only 
he  would  be  dearer  than  another." 

Maldent  made  a  sign  of  assent.  "  Much  dearer,"  he 
said. 

"To  say  nothing,"  said  Lactance,  "of  risking  one's 
soul." 

"  Bah  !  "  said  Waldeck,  with  his  sinister  smile ;  "  do 
you  think  that  if  there  were  no  other  reason  for  his  going 
to  hell,  Benvenuto  Cellini  would  have  been  damned  for 
killing  the  Constable  de  Bourbon  ] " 

"  The  Constable  de  Bourbon  was  a  rebel ;  that  makes  a 
difference,"  said  Procope. 

M  And  then,  for  fighting  against  Pope  Clement  VII.,  he 


330  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

was  excommunicated,"  added  Lactance,  •'  and  it  was  a 
pious  deed  to  kill  him." 

"  As  far  as  that  is  concerned,  your  Duke  of  Savoy  is  a 
friend  of  Pope  Paul  IV.,"  replied  Waldeck. 

"  Oh,  never  mind  all  that,"  said  Pilletrousse  ;  "  what  is 
the  price  1  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Waldeck,  "  that  is  the  point.  Well,  what 
do  you  say  to  five  hundred  gold  crowns,  —  one  hundred 
crowns  down  to  bind  the  bargain,  and  four  hundred  when 
the  thing  is  done  ? " 

Procope  shook  his  head.  "  I  say  that  we  are  far  from 
coming  to  an  agreement." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that/'  replied  Waldeck  ;  "  for,  to  lose 
no  time,  I  have  made  my  final  offer.  I  have  five  hundred 
gold  crowns,  and  not  a  carolus  more ;  if  you  refuse  it,  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  negotiate  elsewhere." 

The  adventurers  looked  at  one  another ;  five  out  of  seven 
shook  their  heads.  Malemort  alone  was  in  favor  of  ac- 
cepting, because  there  would  be  fighting.  Fracasso  had 
relapsed  into  his  poetic  reveries. 

"  Well,"  said  Waldeck,  "  there  is  no  hurry.  Take  time 
to  consider.  I  know  you,  and  you  know  me ;  we  live  in 
the  same  city,  and  can  easily  find  one  another."  And 
bowing  slightly,  he  turned  upon  his  heels  and  left  them. 

"  Shall  we  call  him  back  1 "  said  Procope. 

"  Five  hundred  gold  crowns  are  not  found  every  day, 
forsooth,"  said  Maldent. 

"  And  then,  if  it  is  really  all  that  he  has,  of  course  he 
can  give  nothing  more." 

"  My  brothers,"  said  Lactance,  "  the  lives  of  princes  are 
under  the  special  guardianship  of  Heaven,  and  we  risk  our 
souls  by  attacking  them.  We  should  not  therefore  do  it 
except  for  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  for  indulgences  for  all  of 
us,  which  we  shall  need  whether  we  succeed  or  not.  The 


THE  ADVENTURERS'   TENT.  331 

intention,  brothers,  —  the  worthy  prior  of  the  Jacobins  told 
ine  so  yesterday,  —  must  be  taken  for  the  deed." 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Pilletrousse,  "  that  it  is  worth  much 
more  than  is  offered  us.  But  suppose  we  do  it  on  our  own 
account." 

"  Yes,"  said  Malemort,  "  let  us  do  it." 

"  Gentlemen,"  interrupted  Procope,  "  the  idea  belongs 
to  Monsieur  de  Waldeck  ;  it  would  be  robbery  to  take  his 
idea  which  he  has  confided  to  us.  You  know  my  prin- 
ciples in  matters  of  right." 

"  Well,"  replied  Yvonnet,  "  if  the  idea,  as  you  say,  is 
his  own  property,  I  think  we  had  better  accept  the  five 
hundred  gold  crowns." 

"  Yes,  let  us  accept  and  fight ! "  cried  Malemort. 

"  Oh,  there  is  no  hurry,"  said  Maldent. 

"  What  if  he  should  negotiate  with  others  ? "  said 
Yvonnet. 

"  Yes,  what  if  he  should  negotiate  with  others  ? "  re- 
peated Procope. 

"  Let  us  accept  and  fight !  "  howled  Malemort. 

"  Yes,  yes,  let  us  accept !  "  cried  every  voice. 

"  Accept !  "  said  the  two  Scharfensteins,  who  just  at  this 
moment  entered  bearing  upon  a  board  their  piece  of  roasted 
beef,  and  who,  without  knowing  what  was  the  subject  in 
question,  decided  with  the  majority,  showing  as  always 
their  good  sense. 

"Then  one  of  us  must  run  after  him  and  call  him 
back,"  said  Procope. 

"  I  will,"  said  Malemort.  And  he  sprang  up  to  do  so  ; 
but  just  at  that  moment  he  heard  in  the  direction  of  the 
Faubourg  d'Isle  a  few  shots,  which  were  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  a  brisk  fusillade. 

"  Oh,  battle,  battle !  "  cried  Malemort,  drawing  his 
sword  and  running  in  the  direction  of  the  sound  of  the 


332  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

firing,  which  was  exactly  contrary  to  that  taken  by  Wai- 
deck,  who  was  going  toward  the  Tour  a  1'Eau. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  they  are  fighting  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  I  I 
must  go  and  look  after  Gudule,"  cried  Yvonnet. 

"  But  the  business  ? "  cried  Procope,  in  his  turn. 

"  I  leave  it  to  you  to  settle,"  said  Yvonnet ;  "  what  you 
decide  upon  will  be  satisfactory.  I  give  you  power  of  at- 
torney." And  he  darted  after  Malemort,  who  had  already 
crossed  the  first  bridge  and  had  reached  the  island  forming 
the  pass  St.  Pierre. 

Let  us  follow  Malemort  and  Yvonnet,  and  see  what  is 
going  on  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle. 


BATTLE.  333 


CHAPTER   IX. 

BATTLE. 

THE  reader  will  remember  that  before  entering  the  gover- 
nor's house,  the  admiral  had  given  orders  that  a  sally 
should  be  made  at  nightfall,  for  the  purpose  of  burning 
the  houses  situated  along  the  outer  boulevard,  under  cover 
of  which  the  Spaniards  discharged  their  guns  at  the  de- 
fenders of  the  city,  who,  occupying  an  inner  elevation, 
were  exposed  to  the  full  force  of  the  enemy's  fire. 

This  order  had  been  given  to  Messieurs  de  Theligny,  de 
Jarnac,  and  de  Luzarches.  Consequently,  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening  the  three  officers  had  assembled  a  hundred 
men  from  their  respective  companies,  and  a  hundred  and 
twenty  volunteer  citizens,  led  by  Guillaume  and  Jean  Pau- 
quet.  These  two  hundred  and  twenty  men  were  to  attack 
two  thousand. 

Scarcely  thirty  feet  from  the  old  wall,  the  road  divided, 
as  we  have  already  said.  One  branch  led  to  Guise  and  the 
other  to  La  Fere.  Upon  both  sides  of  this  road  and  upon 
each  one  of  its  branches  were  situated  the  houses  which 
were  to  be  destroyed. 

The  little  band,  after  leaving  the  old  wall,  would  have 
to  divide,  one  attacking  on  the  right,  the  other  on  the 
left,  all  setting  fire  at  the  same  time.  Guillaume  and 
Jean  Pauquet,  who  were  acquainted  with  the  locality, 
served  as  guides,  each  conducting  one  of  the  bands. 

At  half-past  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  gate  of  the 
Faubourg  d'Isle  was  opened,  and  the  little  troop  set  out  at 


334  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

a  double-quick  step.  But  secretly  and  rapidly  as  the 
movement  had  been  executed,  it  had  been  signalled  by  the 
sentinels,  and  the  sally  had  been  anticipated  by  Caronde- 
let  and  Don  Julian  Romero.  Consequently  at  the  corner 
of  each  street  the  French  found  a  body  of  Spaniards 
double  their  own  number,  and  from  every  window  death 
fell  upon  them. 

Such,  however,  was  the  impetuosity  of  the  attack  that 
the  ranks  of  the  Spaniards  who  were  defending  the  two 
streets  were  broken,  and  in  spite  of  the  firing  from  the 
windows  five  or  six  houses  were  entered. 

It  need  not  be  said  that  Malemort,  screaming,  yelling, 
swearing,  and  above  all,  striking,  had  managed  to  steal  up 
to  the  head  of  one  of  the  columns,  and  to  be  the  first  to 
enter  a  house.  Once  in  the  house,  he  forgot  that  the  pur- 
pose of  the  entrance  was  to  set  fire,  and  springing  up  the 
stairs,  he  gained  the  upper  story.  Those  who  entered 
after  him  forgot  that  he  had  gone  in  first,  and  mindful 
only  of  their  instructions,  they  piled  up  fagots  in  the  lower 
rooms,  and  particularly  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase.  Then 
they  set  fire  to  them.  The  same  thing  was  done  in  two 
or  three  houses  along  the  boulevard. 
•  The  Spaniards  had  taken  the  attack  for  an  ordinary 
sally  ;  but  from  the  clouds  of  smoke  which  issued  from 
the  windows  on  the  ground-floor  they  soon  divined  the 
object  of  the  French.  Then  they  rallied  with  all  their 
strength,  and  fell  with  their  tenfold  superiority  of  num- 
bers upon  the  little  troop,  which  was  driven  back.  But 
the  latter  had  not  wholly  failed  in  its  purpose,  for  the 
flames  were  coming  through  the  roofs  of  several  houses. 

The  reader  doubtless  remembers  that  Yvonnet,  not  hav- 
ing been  ordered  to  the  sally,  had  conceived  the  idea  of 
utilizing  his  time  by  going  to  see  Gudule,  whose  fears  he 
did  his  best  to  quiet.  Her  fears  were  indeed  very  great ; 


BATTLE.  335 

for,  as  we  have  said,  the  young  girl's  father  and  uncle  had 
gone  as  guides  with  the  two  columns  which  had  made  the 
sally. 

For  a  moment  the  cries,  the  shouts,  the  noise  of  the 
fusillade  reached  such  a  degree  of  violence  that  Yvonnet 
himself  was  curious  to  know  what  was  taking  place  ;  he 
climbed  into  the  garret,  followed  by  the  young  girl,  who 
remained  as  close  to  him  as  his  shadow,  partly  through 
fear,  but  more  through  love.  By  looking  from  the  garret- 
window  Yvonnet  could  see  all  that  was  going  on. 

The  rumble  of  the  firing  still  continued,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  clash  of  arms  indicated  that  the  hand-to-hand 
struggle  was  sustained  in  the  streets.  But  this  was  not 
all.  As  we  have  said,  the  smoke  was  issuing  from  the 
windows  of  four  or  five  houses,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
smoke  human  beings  were  seen  running  as  if  in  fright. 
These  were  the  Spaniards  overtaken  by  the  fire,  and  who, 
now  that  the  stairways  were  in  flames,  could  not  leave  the 
upper  stories  of  the  houses. 

In  all  these  houses  movements  indicating  alarm  were  to 
be  seen  ;  but  in  one  of  them  especially  the  alarm  seemed  to 
rise  even  to  terror.  It  was  that  in  which  Malemort  was  at 
work,  who,  indifferent  to  the  flames,  attacked,  struck,  and 
fought  in  the  midst  of  the  smoke. 

At  the  moment  when  Yvonnet  began  looking  out  of  the 
window,  the  scene  of  combat  was  the  second  story.  The 
most  prudent  of  the  Spaniards  who  defended  this  second 
story,  having  to  struggle  at  once  against  fire  and  a  man 
who  seemed  to  be  the  devil  himself,  leaped  through  the 
windows.  The  others  instinctively  fled  to  the  third  story. 
Malemort  no  longer  concerned  himself  with  those  who 
had  jumped  from  the  windows,  but  pursued  the  fugitives 
to  the  third  story,  thundering  out  his  favorite  cry,  — 
"  Battle  ! " 


336  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

All  this  time  the  fire  was  performing  its  work  of  de- 
struction; Malemort  pursued  the  Spaniards,  the  fire  pur- 
sued Malemort.  Doubtless  the  adventurer  owed  at  this 
time  his  exceptional  invulnerability  to  the  powerful  ally 
which  came  on  behind  him,  and  to  which  he  seemed  to 
pay  no  attention. 

Soon  the  smoke  obscured  the  third  story  as  it  had  done 
the  second,  and  the  fire  darted  its  tongues  of  flame  through 
the  flooring.  One  or  two  Spaniards,  braving  the  danger 
of  the  fall,  leaped  from  the  windows  of  the  third  story,  as 
their  comrades  had  done  from  those  of  the  second  story. 
Others  tried  to  escape  over  the  roof.  Two  could  be  seen 
going  out  by  an  upper  window,  and  one  half  of  a  third  ; 
but  the  latter  seemed  suddenly  arrested  in  his  exit,  and 
indicated  by  movements  the  meaning  of  which  was  unmis- 
takable that  the  part  of  his  body  left  in  the  house  was  un- 
dergoing something  very  disagreeable.  Indeed  Malemort 
was  inflicting  heavy  strokes  of  the  sword  upon  this  too 
tardy  part. 

The  Spaniard,  after  making  vain  attempts  to  rejoin  his 
companions  climbing  over  the  ridge  of  the  roof,  fell  back- 
ward, and  in  spite  of  a  last  effort  to  grasp  the  ledge  of  the 
window,  went  out  of  sight. 

Five  seconds  later  it  was  Malemort's  face  —  recognizable 
by  the  linen  bandage  —  which  appeared  at  the  garret- 
window  in  the  place  of  the  Spaniard's.  He  saw  his  two 
enemies  flying,  and  set  out  in  pursuit  of  them.  He  might 
have  been  a  slater  or  a  rope-dancer,  with  so  firm  a  step 
did  he  walk  upon  the  narrow  path.  If  he  had  been  a 
Mussulman,  his  shade  could  have  certainly  crossed  at 
death,  without  the  aid  of  a  balancing-pole,  that  bridge  to 
the  Mahometan  paradise  which  leads  from  earth  to  heaven 
and  which  is  no  wider  than  the  edge  of  a  razor. 

The  two   fugitives   soon   discovered   the   danger  with 


BATTLE.  337 

which  they  were  threatened.  One  of  them,  at  the  risk  of 
breaking  his  back,  slid  down  the  declivity  of  the  roof,  and 
clung  to  the  ledge  of  the  garret-window,  through  which  he 
disappeared  into  the  house.  This  house  standing  between 
two  burning  ones  had  so  far  escaped  the  flames. 

Malemort  did  not  trouble  himself  about  the  Spaniard 
who  had  just  accomplished  so  successfully  the  perilous 
slide,  and  continued  his  pursuit  of  the  one  who 
remained. 

From  their  observatory,  Yvonnet  and  Gudule  watched 
this  aerial  feat  of  gymnastics,  —  Yvonnet  with  the  pleasure 
which  such  a  spectacle  inspires  in  a  man  ;  Gudule  with  the 
terror  with  which  it  would  naturally  affect  a  woman. 

The  two  acrobats  reached,  by  passing  from  roof  to  roof, 
the  last  house,  which  seemed,  after  the  fashion  of  some  of 
our  old  houses,  to  bend  over  to  look  into  the  river.  The 
house  was  of  wood,  and  was  burning  on  every  side. 

Having  reached  the  edge  of  the  roof,  and  perceiving  that 
he  could  fly  no  farther,  —  unless  Saint  James,  the  patron 
saint  of  Spain,  lent  him  wings,  —  the  fugitive,  who  prob- 
ably could  not  swim,  turned  around,  resolved  to  sell  his 
life  dearly.  The  struggle  began  ;  but  just  as  it  reached  its 
highest  degree  of  fury,  the  smoke  and  flame  began  to 
burst  through  the  roof  upon  which  the  combatants  were 
standing  ;  then  the  roof  trembled,  then  fell  in,  drawing 
the  two  men  into  the  frightful  crater. 

One  of  them  disappeared  entirely.  The  other  clung  to 
a  beam,  burning  but  still  solid,  regained  his  feet,  made  his 
way  all  on  fire  toward  the  extremity  of  the  beam,  and 
springing  from  the  height  of  the  third  story,  extinguished 
the  fire  on  his  person  by  plunging  into  the  Somme. 

Gudule  uttered  a  loud  cry  ;  Yvonnet  almost  jumped  out 
of  the  window ;  both  held  their  breath  for  a  moment. 
Would  the  bold  diver  be  swallowed  up  forever  or  would 
VOL.  i.  —  22 


338  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

he  reappear  1  Then,  again,  was  this  the  Spaniard  or  was 
it  Malemort  1 

Soon  the  surface  of  the  river  was  agitated  and  a  head 
appeared,  then  arms,  then  a  body  swimming  with  the  cur- 
rent toward  a  point  on  the  shore  behind  the  old  wall. 
"When  they  saw  the  swimmer  taking  that  direction,  they 
were  very  sure  that  it  was  Malemort. 

Yvonnet  and  Gudule  ran  quickly  down  to  the  place 
where  in  all  probability  the  swimmer  would  land.  They 
arrived  just  in  time  to  draw  from  the  water,  half  burned 
and  nearly  drowned,  the  fierce  fighter,  who  at  the 
end  of  his  strength  fainted  in  their  arms  while  waving 
his  sword  and  crying  out  in  a  stifled  voice,  "  Battle  ! 
battle ! " 

Serious  as  was  Malemort's  condition,  others  had  not 
escaped  so  fortunately  as  he.  Repulsed,  as  we  have  said, 
by  the  veteran  troops  of  Carondelet  and  .Don  Julian,  the 
soldiers  and  the  bourgeois,  after  succeeding  in  burning  two 
or  three  houses,  being  forced  to  retreat  in  disorder,  became 
massed  at  the  gate  of  the  old  wall  in  such  a  way  as  to 
afford  the  Spaniards  every  facility  for  taking  their  revenge. 
Thirty  soldiers  and  twenty  citizens  were  left  dead,  and  the 
enemy  very  nearly  succeeded  in  entering  the  faubourg  with 
those  whom  they  pursued.  Yvonnet  heard  the  cries  of  the 
Spaniards,  who  were  already  shouting,  "The  city  is 
taken  !  "  He  ran  to  the  adventurers'  tent,  calling  them  to 
arms,  and  returned  with  a  reinforcement  of  a  hundred 
men,  a  part  of  whom  spread  themselves  about  over  the 
ramparts,  while  the  rest  met  the  enemy,  already  trying  to 
force  their  way  into  the  faubourg. 

But  at  the  head  of  those  who  came  to  the  assistance  of 
the  faubourg  were  the  two  Scharfen steins,  armed  one  with 
his  sledge  and  the  other  with  his  two-edged  sword.  Blows 
fell  upon  the  Spaniards  as  rapid  as  those  of  the  flail  upon 


BATTLE.  339 

the  threshing-floor,  and  they  were  obliged  to  retire  before 
the  two  giants. 

When  the  Spaniards  were  driven  back  from  the  arch  it 
was  necessary  to  close  the  gates.  This  was  a  difficult  task, 
for  the  assailants  opposed  it  with  all  their  strength,  some 
pushing  on  the  gates  with  their  hands,  others  with 
the  but-ends  of  their  muskets,  others  still  with  beams ; 
but  the  two  Scharfensteins  succeeded  in  slipping  in  be- 
tween the  opposed  forces  and  the  wall,  and  bracing  them- 
selves against  the  gates  with  feet  and  hands,  began  moving 
them  with  a  slow  but  regular  and  irresistible  progress 
until  they  were  completely  closed,  and  the  iron  cross-bar 
was  put  in  its  place. 

This  work  accomplished,  they  breathed  heavily,  and  so 
in  unison  that  they  might  have  been  said  to  have  but  one 
breast  for  their  two  bodies.  Scarcely  had  they  heaved 
this  heavy  sigh  of  relief  when  a  cry  of  terror  arose,  —  "  To 
the  walls  !  to  the  walls  !  " 

Two  breaches  indeed  had  been  made  in  the  wall,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  gate,  for  the  purpose  of  transporting 
earth  to  the  artillery  platforms.  These  breaches  had  been 
filled  with  Jiurdles  and  bales  of  wool.  The  besiegers, 
driven  from  the  gate,  had  noticed  the  breaches,  and  at- 
tempted, by  making  use  of  them,  to  carry  the  town  in  a 
sudden  assault. 

The  two  Scharfensteins,  in  springing  back  from  the 
gateway,  needed  only  to  cast  a  glance  around  them  to  ap- 
preciate the  imminence  of  the  danger.  In  spite  of  their 
custom  of  fighting  together,  the  separation  of  their  forces 
was  at  this  time  so  necessary  that  after  exchanging  a  few 
words,  with  that  moderation  of  speech  which  characterized 
them,  they  hastened,  the  uncle  to  the  breach  on  the  right 
and  the  nephew  to  that  on  the  left. 

The  attacking  party,  provided  with  those  long  pikes 


340  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

which  were  at  that  period  the  weapons  used  by  the  Spanish 
infantry,  made  their  assault  on  both  sides  of  the  gate  at 
the  same  time,  and  drove  before  it  citizens  and  soldiers, 
forced  to  retreat  before  that  harvest  of  steel  which  the  wind 
of  war  bent  against  them. 

Heinrich  Scharfenstein,  armed  for  the  time  with  the 
sledge,  saw  that  he  could  not  do  much  with  that  short 
and  heavy  weapon  against  the  Spanish  pikes,  which  were 
about  ten  feet  long  :  and  therefore,  as  he  ran  forward,  he 
hung  his  sledge  to  his  belt,  picked  up  from  the  wall  a 
block  of  stone,  and  not  at  all  impeded  by  the  enormous 
weight  he  was  carrying,  arrived  at  the  breach,  crying  out, 
"  Take  care  !  take  care  ! " 

It  was  the  very  breach  at  which  Yvonnet  was  fighting. 
The  latter  saw  Scharfenstein,  perceived  his  intention,  and 
opened  with  a  movement  of  his  sword  a  sort  of  path  to- 
ward the  Spaniards,  who  had  begun  to  make  the  ascent. 
Just  as  they  had  climbed  about  half-way  up  the  wall,  the 
giant  appeared  on  the  top  of  the  breach,  raised  above  his 
head  the  stone  which  until  then  he  had  carried  on  his 
shoulders,  and  adding  the  impetus  of  his  own  strength 
to  the  natural  weight  of  the  projectile,  hurled  it  down 
upon  the  front  rank  of  the  Spanish  with  a  force  equal  to 
that  of  the  most  powerful  catapult. 

The  rock  fell,  bounding  through  the  serried  column, 
breaking,  crushing,  grinding  as  it  went.  Then  through 
that  open  way  Heinrich  sprang,  and  striking  right  and  left, 
finished  with  his  terrible  club  those  whom  the  gigantic 
rock  had  spared  or  had  only  half  killed.  On  this  side  in 
less  than  ten  minutes  the  breach  was  cleared. 

Frantz  had  been  equally  successful.  He  also  had  cried, 
"  Take  care  !  "  and  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  ranks  of 
the  soldiers  and  citizens  had  opened  ;  then  with  his  great 
two-handed  sword  he  began  to  mow  down  this  harvest  of 


BATTLE.  341 

lances,  cutting  down  at  each  blow  five  or  six,  as  easily  as 
Tarquin  in  the  gardens  of  Gabies  cut  off  the  poppy-heads 
in  the  presence  of  his  son's  messenger.  Then,  when  he 
had  before  him  men  armed  only  with  sticks,  he  threw 
himself  into  the  Spanish  ranks,  and  set  himself  to  cutting 
down  the  men  as  furiously  as  he  had  attacked  the  lances. 
At  this  point  also  the  Spaniards  retreated. 

But  an  unforeseen  incident  came  near  depriving  the 
brave  Frantz  of  all  the  profit  to  be  gained  by  the  glorious 
assistance  he  had  brought  to  the  defenders  of  St.  Quentin. 
A  man  fiercer  even  than  he  for  human  quarry  glided  under 
his  arm,  crying,  "  Battle !  battle  ! "  and  started  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Spaniards,  This  was  Malemort,  who,  hav- 
ing recovered  consciousness,  had  swallowed  a  bottle  of 
wine  given  him  by  Gudule,  and  had  returned  to  the 
charge. 

Unfortunately,  two  or  three  of  those  whom  our  adven- 
turer was  pursuing,  seeing  that  they  were  pursued  by  only 
one  man,  turned  around,  and  although  their  broken  lances 
left  them  no  weapon  but  a  stick,  one  of  them  with  a  blow 
of  his  stick  knocked  Malemort  senseless. 

Citizens  and  soldiers  uttered  a  cry  of  lamentation.  For- 
tunately, Frantz  had  some  idea  of  the  thickness  of  his 
companion's  skull.  He  ran  up  to  him,  cleft  in  two  with 
one  blow  of  his  formidable  sword  the  Spaniard  who  was 
about  to  put  an  end  to  Malemort's  life  with  a  dagger,  took 
Malemort  by  the  feet,  and  supposing  that  he  had  no  time 
to  lose,  returned  on  the  run  to  the  breach,  where  he  threw 
Malemort  —  who  was  beginning  to  open  his  eyes  and  mur- 
mur "  Battle  !  "  —  into  the  arms  of  Lactance,  who  was 
coming  up  with  his  Jacobins. 

Behind  the  monks  came  the  admiral,  leading  a  little 
troop  of  selected  arquebusiers,  who  opened  so  well  sus- 
tained a  fire  upon  the  outward  boulevard  and  upon  the 


342  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

houses  situated  upon  it  that  the  Spaniards  remained  quiet 
under  shelter. 

The  admiral  found  upon  inquiry  that  the  loss  had  been 
great,  and  that  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  had  hardly  escaped 
being  taken  by  assault.  Many  captains  entreated  the  ad- 
miral to  abandon  this  point,  which  had  already  cost  the 
garrison  sixty  men.  But  Coligny  persisted ;  he  saw  that 
the  prolongation  of  the  siege,  if  not  the  safety  of  the  c\iyt 
depended  on  the  occupation  of  this  faubourg.  He  there- 
fore ordered  that  they  should  take  advantage  of  the  night, 
•which  was  coming  on,  to  repair  the  two  breaches  and  put 
everything  in  order.  The  Jacobins,  whose  dark  dress  ren- 
dered them  less  conspicuous,  were  appointed  to  this  work, 
which  they  undertook  with  the  quiet  devotion  of  monastic 
courage.  As  a  nocturnal  attack  was  feared,  the  arque- 
busiers  watched  upon  the  ramparts,  Avhile,  in  order  to  give 
the  alarm  in  case  the  enemy  should  couceive  the  idea  of 
going  around  by  the  old  wall,  sentinels  were  placed 
twenty  steps  apart  along  the  edge  of  the  marshes  of  the 
Somme. 

It  was  a  terrible  night  for  the  city  of  St.  Quentin,  that 
night  of  the  3d  and  4th  of  August,  when  it  mourned  its 
first  killed ! 

Each  one  watched  over  his  house  and  his  neighborhood 
as  the  sentinels  watched  over  the  Faubourg  d'Isle. 

The  poor  inhabitants  of  the  faubourg,  who  knew  that  it 
would  be  the  point  of  the  fiercest  attack  and  defence,  left 
their  houses,  dragging  after  them  in  carts  or  carrying  upon 
hand-barrows  their  most  precious  possessions.  Among  the 
emigrants  who  abandoned  the  faubourg  to  seek  refuge  in 
the  city  was  Guillauuie  Pauquet,  to  whom  his  brother 
Jean  offered  the  hospitality  of  his  house,  which  stood  on 
the  corner  of  the  Rue  du  Vieux-Marche  and  the  Rue  des 
Arbaletriers. 


BATTLE.  343 

Leaning  on  his  arm,  his  daughter  Gudule,  still  quite 
stunned  by  the  events  of  the  day,  entered  the  city,  turn- 
ing round  from  time  to  time  on  pretence  of  great  grief  at 
leaving  to  certain  destruction  that  house  where  she  was 
born,  but  in  reality  to  assure  herself  that  the  handsome 
Yvonnet  did  not  lose  sight  of  her. 

Yvonnet  followed  indeed  at  a  reasonable  distance  the 
citizen,  his  daughter,  and  the  weavers  whom  Jean  Pau- 
quet  had  offered  to  his  brother  to  help  in  transporting 
his  household  goods,  and  who  discharged  this  duty 
conscientiously. 

It  was  a  great  consolation  to  the  poor  Gudule  to  see 
that  the  young  man  traversed  St.  Quentin  through  its 
whole  length,  crossed  the  public  square  before  the  town- 
house  from  one  corner  to  the  other,  followed  along  the 
Rue  St.  Marguerite  and  the  Rue  du  Vieux-Marche,  and 
liually  entered  his  uncle's  house  at  the  corner  of  the  Rue 
aux  Pourceaux. 

Under  pretext  of  great  fatigue  (and  the  pretext  was 
a  plausible  one  after  such  a  day),  Gudule  asked  to  be 
shown  to  her  room,  —  a  request  which  was  immediately 
granted. 

Gudule  began  to  think  that  there  was  really  a  guardian 
spirit  watching  over  lovers  when  she  saw  that  the  apart- 
ments her  uncle  had  assigned  to  her  father  and  herself 
were  in  a  sort  of  pavilion  in  the  corner  of  the  garden, 
and  looked  upon  the  road  which  ran  round  the  ramparts. 
When  she  was  alone  in  her  new  domicile,  her  first  care 
was  to  extinguish  her  light,  as  if  she  had  gone  to  bed, 
and  open  her  window  to  examine  the  surroundings,  and 
see  what  facilities  this  window  offered  for  an  escalade. 

She  found  that  the  window  was  easy  of  access;  that 
portion  of  the  rampart  which  extended  between  the  gate 
of  the  Vieux-Marche  and  the  Dameuse  Tower  was  cer- 


344  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

tainly  the  most  deserted  in  the  city.  A  ladder  eight  or 
ten  feet  long  placed  against  the  window  could  perform 
the  same  service  in  the  Kue  des  Arbaletriers  as  the  step- 
ping-stone at  the  house  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle. 

It  is  true  that  only  a  thin  partition  separated  her  room 
from  that  of  her  father,  and  that  the  least  sound  in  this 
chamber  might  move  the  susceptibility  of  the  paternal 
ear ;  but  this  difficulty  could  be  avoided  if  Gudule  should 
descend  by  the  ladder  to  meet  Yvonnet  upon  the  ram- 
parts. In  that  way,  unless  the  lovers  were  unfortunate, 
the  chamber  might  be  left  unoccupied,  and,  by  necessity, 
to  silence. 

Gudule  was  deep  in  these  strategic  combinations,  which 
for  the  moment  made  of  her  almost  as  skilful  a  tactician 
35  the  admiral,  when  she  saw  a  shadow  gliding  along  the 
garden  wall. 

Yvonuet  was  engaged  in  the  same  exploration,  and  was 
reconnoitring  the  ground  which  was  to  be  the  scene  of 
his  manoeuvres. 

The  siege  of  this  house  of  Maitre  Pauquet  would  not  be 
a  difficult  one,  especially  for  a  man  who,  like  our  adven- 
turer, had  the  advantage  of  co-operation  from  within. 

In  a  few  words  everything  was  arranged  for  the  follow- 
ing night.  Then,  as  she  heard  on  the  stairs  the  step  of 
Guillaume  Pauquet,  somewhat  heavy  from  the  fatigue  of 
the  day,  Gudule  closed  her  window,  and  Yvonnet  dis- 
appeared down  the  Eue  St.  Jean. 


MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNY.  345 


CHAPTER  X. 

MONSIEUR    DE   THELIGNY. 

MORNING  found  the  admiral  again  upon  the  rampart.  Far 
from  being  cast  down  by  the  failure  of  the  day  before, 
Gaspard  de  Coligny  had  determined  to  make  another 
attempt. 

In  his  opinion  the  enemy  knew  that  a  reinforcement 
had  entered  the  city,  but  were  ignorant  of  its  importance  ; 
it  was  necessary  for  them  to  believe  that  this  reinforce- 
ment was  more  powerful  than  it  was  in  reality. 

In  that  case  Duke  Emmanuel  Philibert  would  be  in- 
duced to  undertake  a  regular  siege,  since  he  would  despair 
of  carrying  the  city  by  storm.  Now  a  regular  siege  meant 
a  respite  of  ten  days,  fifteen  days,  perhaps  a  month, 
during  which  the  constable  might  make  some  attempt, 
and  the  king  have  time  to  take  measures. 

The  admiral  therefore  sent  for  the  young  lieutenant  of 
the  dauphin's  company,  Monsieur  de  Theligny. 

The  latter  hastened  to  obey.  He  had  fought  valiantly 
the  night  before  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle,  and  yet  he  had 
come  safe  and  sound  out.  of  the  battle  ;  so  that  the  sol- 
diers who  had  seen  him  in  the  midst  of  the  fusillade,  the 
swords,  and  the  lances,  on  finding  that  he  had  not  received 
a  scratch,  had  called  him  the  Invulnerable. 

He  approached  the  admiral  bright  and  smiling,  like  a 
man  who  had  just  done  his  duty  and  was  ready  to  do  it 
again.  The  admiral  took  him  behind  the  parapet  of  a 
tower. 


346  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"Monsieur  de  Theligny,"  he  said,  "you  can  see  from 
here  the  position  of  the  Spaniards  ] " 

Theliguy  signified  that  he  could  see  perfectly. 

"  Well,  it  appears  to  me  easy  to  make  a  surprise  with 
thirty  or  forty  cavaliers.  Select  thirty  or  forty  men  from 
your  company ;  put  at  their  head  a  reliable  man,  and 
attack  that  position." 

"  But,  Monsieur  PAiniral,"  asked  Theligny,  laughing, 
"  why  should  not  I  myself  be  that  reliable  man  who  shall 
command  the  sally  ?  I  admit  that  I  have  confidence  in 
my  officers,  but  I  have  still  greater  confidence  in  myself." 

The  admiral  laid  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder.  "  My 
dear  Theligny,"  he  said,  "  men  of  your  stamp  are  rare ; 
that  is  the  reason  why  we  must  not  risk  them  in  skir- 
mishes, and  expose  them  to  unexpected  encounters.  Give 
me  your  word  of  honor  that  you  will  not  command  the 
sally,  or,  dying  with  fatigue  as  I  am,  I  shall  remain  upon 
the  ramparts." 

"If  that  is  the  case,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,"  said  Theligny, 
bowing,  "  retire,  take  your  rest,  and  leave  to  me  the  care 
of  the  enterprise ;  I  promise  not  to  go  beyond  the  gate  of 
the  city." 

"  I  rely  upon  your  promise,  Monsieur,"  the  admiral 
said  gravely. 

Then,  as  if  he  wished  it  understood  that  the  gravity  of 
his  face  and  voice  applied  only  to  this  request  that  he 
would  not  leave  the  city,  he  added,  "  As  for  myself,  my 
dear  Theligny,  I  shall  not  return  to  the  governor's  house, 
which  is  too  far  off;  I  shall  go  to  Monsieur  de  Jarnac's, 
throw  myself  on  a  bed,  and  sleep  for  an  hour  or  two. 
You  •will  find  me  there." 

"  Sleep  in  peace,  Monsieur  1'Amiral !  "  replied  Theligny. 
"  I  will  watch." 

The  admiral  descended  from  the  rampart  opposite  the 


MONSIEUR   DE  THELIGNY.  347 

tower  of  Guise,  and  entered  the  second  house  in  the  Rue 
de  Remicourt,  in  which  Monsieur  de  Jarnac  lived. 

Theligny  looked  after  him  for  a  while ;  then  turning  to 
an  officer  he  said,  "  Thirty  or  forty  volunteers  from  the 
dauphin's  company  ! " 

"  You  shall  have  them  immediately,  Lieutenant,"  replied 
the  officer. 

"  How  is  that  ?     I  have  given  no  order." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  Monsieur  1'Amiral's  words  were 
seized  upon  by  one  of  the  hearers,  who  signified  that  he 
understood,  and  who  has  gone  running  in  every  direction 
through  the  barracks  crying,  '  Dauphins,  dauphins,  to 
battle  ! ' " 

"  And  who  is  the  man  who  has  so  well  executed  orders 
before  they  were  issued  1 " 

"  Upon  my  word,  Lieutenant,"  replied  the  officer,  laugh- 
ing, "  he  looked  more  like  a  devil  than  a  man  ;  half  of  his 
face  is  covered  with  a  bloody  bandage,  his  hair  is  burned 
close  to  his  head,  his  cuirass  is  dented  behind  and  before, 
and  his  clothes  are  in  rags." 

"  Ah,  very  well,"  said  Theligny,  "  I  know  whom  you 
mean.  You  are  right ;  he  is  not  a  man,  but  a  devil !  " 

"  Stay,  here  he  is,  Lieutenant !  "  said  the  officer  ;  and 
he  pointed  out  to  Theligny  a  horseman  who  was  approach- 
ing on  the  gallop  from  the  Isle  Gate. 

It  was  Malemort,  half  burned,  half  drowned,  half  killed, 
in  the  sally  of  the  day  before,  and  who,  feeling  only  the 
better  on  account  of  it,  was  eager  for  another  fray. 

At  the  same  time,  from  the  opposite  direction,  —  that  is 
to  say,  through  the  Rue  du  Billon,  at  the  end  of  which 
were  some  barracks,  —  advanced  a  little  band  of  forty 
horsemen. 

With  the  activity  which  characterized  him  when  there 
was  any  chance  of  fighting,  Malemort  had  had  time  to 


348  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

run  to  the  barracks,  transmit  the  admiral's  order,  go  to 
the  Isle  Gate,  saddle  his  horse,  and  return  to  the  Re  mi- 
court  Gate,  where  he  arrived  at  the  same  time  as  the 
horsemen  of  the  dauphin's  company.  The  only  recompense 
he  asked  for  his  zeal  and  activity  was  permission  to  join 
the  expedition,  which  was  granted  him.  He  had  declared 
that  if  he  were  not  allowed  to  join  in  the  sally,  he 
would  make  one  of  his  own  ;  and  if  the  gates  were  not 
opened  for  him,  he  would  leap  from  the  top  of  the 
ramparts. 

But  Theligny,  who  judged  him  by  his  work  the  day 
before,  requested  him  not  to  separate  from  the  main  body, 
and  to  charge  in  the  ranks.  Malemort  agreed  to  do  as  he 
was  requested. 

The  gate  was  opened  and  the  little  troop  went  out.  But 
when  they  were  hardly  outside  the  gate,  Malemort,  car- 
ried away  by  his  rage,  could  not  constrain  himself  to  fol- 
low the  path  taken  by  the  little  troop,  —  a  path  which, 
sheltered  by  trees  and  protected  by  certain  inequalities  of 
ground,  would  lead  the  forty  horsemen  very  near  the 
Spanish  camp ;  he  crossed  the  plain  in  a  straight  line, 
urging  his  horse  to  his  greatest  speed,  and  crying,  "  Battle  ! 
battle !  " 

Meanwhile  the  admiral,  as  we  have  said,  had  retired  to 
Monsieur  de  Jarnac's  house,  and  thrown  himself  down 
upon  a  bed ;  but  disturbed  by  a  sort  of  presentiment,  and 
in  spite  of  his  fatigue  not  able  to  sleep,  in  about  half  an 
hour  he  arose,  and  as  he  thought  he  heard  cries  from  the 
direction  of  the  rampart,  he  put  his  hand  to  his  sword  and 
hastened  out.  He  had  scarcely  taken  twenty  steps  in  the 
Rue  de  Remicourt,  when  he  saw  Messieurs  de  Luzarches 
and  de  Jarnac  coming  rapidly  toward  him.  From  their 
air  of  terror,  it  might  easily  be  divined  that  something 
serious  had  happened. 


MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNY.  349 

"  Ah,"  said  Monsieur  de  Jarnac,  coming  up  to  the 
admiral,  "  you  know  already,  then  1 " 

"  What  1 "  asked  Coligny. 

The  two  officers  looked  at  each  other. 

"If  you  do  not  know,"  said  Monsieur  de  Luzarches, 
"  why  have  you  come  out  1 " 

"  I  could  not  sleep,  I  felt  something  like  a  presentiment 
Hearing  cries,  I  arose,  and  here  I  am." 

"  Come  with  us,  then." 

And  the  two  officers  again  quickly  ascended  the  ram- 
parts, accompanying  the  admiral.  The  ramparts  were 
crowded  with  spectators. 

The  following  is  what  had  taken  place  :  Malemort's 
premature  attack  had  given  the  alarm.  The  Spaniards 
were  more  numerous  than  had  been  supposed  ;  the  soldiers 
and  the  officer  of  the  dauphin's  company,  who  intended 
to  surprise  the  enemy,  found  the  enemy  already  mounted 
and  twice  as  numerous  as  their  own  party.  At  this  sight 
they  faltered  ;  some  of  the  horsemen  turned  about,  the 
most  cowardly  abandoning  the  bravest,  who  were  engaged 
with  numbers  so  numerous  that  they  must  soon  yield  un- 
less they  received  help  immediately.  Theligny  forgot  his 
promise  to  the  admiral ;  with  no  other  weapon  but  his 
sword  he  mounted  the  first  horse  he  found  within  reach, 
and  darted  off  beyond  the  walls,  calling  loudly  to  the  aid 
of  their  companions  those  who  had  turned  to  fly.  A  few 
of  them  therefore  rallied  about  him,  and  with  eight  or  ten 
men,  hoping  to  make  a  diversion,  with  bowed  head  he 
charged  into  the  midst  of  the  Spaniards. 

A  moment  later  those  who  remained  of  the  forty  cava- 
liers of  the  dauphin's  company  could  be  seen  retreating 
rapidly.  Their  number  was  diminished  by  a  third,  and 
Monsieur  de  Theligny  was  not  among  them. 

It  was  then  that  Messieurs  de  Jaruac  and  de  Luzarches, 


350  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

thinking  it  important  to  inform  the  admiral  of  this  new 
defeat,  had  turned  their  steps  toward  the  house  where  he 
was  taking  an  hour's  rest,  and  had  met  him  half-way. 
Then,  as  we  have  said,  all  three  had  hurried  to  the  ram- 
part which  overlooked  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe. 
There  Coligny  had  questioned  the  fugitives,  who  had 
related  to  him  the  facts  we  have  given. 

With  regard  to  Monsieur  de  Theligny,  they  could  affirm 
nothing  ;  they  had  seen  him  come  like  lightning  and 
strike  the  Spanish  officer  a  blow  in  the  face  with  his  sword  j 
but  he  had  been  immediately  surrounded,  and,  unarmed 
as  he  was,  at  the  end  of  some  seconds  he  had  fallen  pierced 
with  wounds.  One  soldier  alone  affirmed  that,  though 
robbed  and  wounded,  Monsieur  de  Theligny  had  not  been 
killed,  because  he  had  seen  him  move  as  he  was  galloping 
by  the  place  where  he  had  fallen. 

Although  this  hope  was  a  very  slight  one,  the  admiral 
gave  orders  for  the  officers  of  the  dauphin's  company  to 
mount,  and  at  all  costs  to  bring  back  Monsieur  de  The"liguy 
dead  or  alive. 

The  officers  who  asked  nothing  better  than  to  avenge 
their  comrade,  had  already  started  for  the  barracks,  when 
a  sort  of  Goliath  emerged  from  the  crowd,  and  touching 
his  helmet  said,  "Pardon,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  there  is  no 
need  of  a  company  to  go  and  get  that  poor  devil  of  a  lieu- 
tenant. If  you  wish,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  I  will  go  with  my 
nephew  Frantz,  and  we  will  bring  him  back  alive  or  dead  !  " 

The  admiral  turned  to  the  man  who  made  this  generous 
proposition  ;  it  was  one  of  the  adventurers  whom  he  had 
taken  into  his  service  without  counting  much  on  them, 
and  who,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the  few  encounters  that  had 
taken  place  thus  far,  had  fully  repaid  him.  He  recognized 
Heinrich  Scharfenstein  ;  about  four  steps  behind  his  uncle, 
in  the  same  attitude,  as  if  he  were  his  shadow,  stood  Frantz. 


MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNY.  351 

The  day  before  the  admiral  had  seen  them  at  work,  each 
defending  one  of  the  breaches  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  ;  one 
glance  had  been  sufficient  to  show  him  their  worth. 

"  Yes,  my  brave  fellow,"  said  the  admiral,  "  I  accept 
your  offer.  What  do  you  want  for  doing  it  1 " 

"  I  want  a  horse  for  myself  and  one  for  my  nephew 
Frantz." 

"  But  that  is  not  what  I  mean." 

"  Well,  then,  I  want  two  men  to  ride  behind  us." 

"  Yes,  but  what  else  1 " 

*'  What  else  ?  That  is  all.  We  only  want  two  strong 
horses  and  two  thin  men." 

"  Well,  choose  your  horses  and  your  men." 

"  Good,"  said  Heinrich. 

"  But  I  mean  that  for  the  money  —  " 

"  Oh,  the  money,  —  that  is  Procope's  affair." 

"  We  do  not  need  Procope  for  that,"  said  the  admiral. 
""  I  promise  fifty  crowns'  reward  for  Theligny  living,  and 
twenty-five  for  Theligny  dead." 

"  Oh,  oh,"  said  Heinrich,  with  his  loud  laugh,  "  I  will 
do  whatever  you  want  for  that  price." 

"  Well,  then,  go,"  said  the  admiral,  "  without  loss  of 
time." 

"  Immediately,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  immediately."  And 
Heinrich  at  once  set  about  choosing  his  horses.  Those 
which  he  selected  were  two  cavalry  horses,  vigorous, 
broad-backed,  firm  on  their  legs. 

Then  he  began  his  search  for  men.  Suddenly  he  uttered 
a  cry  of  joy  ;  he  saw  in  one  direction  Lactance,  and  in 
another  Fracasso.  A  penitent  and  a  poet,  the  good  Hein- 
rich thought,  were  the  thinnest  persons  he  could  find. 

The  admiral  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  all  these 
preparations  ;  but  he  trusted,  if  not  to  the  intelligence,  at 
least  to  the  instincts  of  the  two  giants. 


352  THL  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  four  adventurers  descended  the  slope  of  the  ram- 
part, and  disappeared  under  the  arch  of  the  Remicourt 
Gate ;  a  moment  later,  the  gate  having  been  opened  for 
them,  they  reappeared,  two  upon  each  horse,  cautiously 
availing  themselves  of  all  those  advantages  of  shadow  and 
covert  which  had  been  neglected  by  Malemort.  Then 
they  disappeared  behind  a  little  eminence  which  rose  on 
the  right  of  the  mill  of  La  Couture. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  express  the  interest  which 
attached  to  the  expedition  of  these  four  men,  who  were 
going  to  dispute  with  a  whole  army  their  claim  to  a  dead 
body, —  for  it  was  the  opinion  of  those  least  given  to  fore- 
boding that  Theligny  must  be  dead  ;  so  that  the  silence 
•which  had  ensued  among  the  three  or  four  hundred  per- 
sons collected  upon  the  rampart,  while  the  four  adven- 
turers had  remained  in  sight,  continued  after  they  had 
disappeared  behind  the  hill. 

It  seemed  as  if  this  crowd  were  afraid  to  rouse  by  a 
breath  or  a  movement  the  attention  of  the  enemy. 

In  a  short  time  the  discharge  of  eight  or  ten  arquebuses 
was  heard.  Every  heart  thrilled  ;  but  almost  immediately 
Frantz  Scharfenstein  reappeared  on  foot,  bearing  in  his 
arms  not  one  man  only,  but  two.  Behind  him  the  cav- 
alry and  infantry  of  the  expedition  covered  the  retreat. 

The  cavalry  consisted  of  one  man  on  one  horse ;  doubt- 
less one  of  the  two  horses  had  been  killed  by  the  dis- 
charge which  had  been  heard.  Fracasso  and  Lactance 
comprised  the  infantry,  each  carrying  an  arquebuse  in  his 
hand. 

Eight  or  ten  Spanish  cavaliers  harassed  the  retreat. 
But  when  the  infantry  was  too  closely  pressed,  Heinrich 
would  make  a  charge,  and  relieve  it  by  heavy  blows  with 
his  sledge ;  and  when  the  cavalry  in  its  turn  was  crowded 
too  hard,  two  arquebuse  shots  fired  at  the  same  time,  with 


MONSIEUR  DE  THELIGNY.  353 

remarkable   unity  and    precision  of  aim,   laid   low   two 
Spaniards  and  gave  Heinrich  time  to  breathe. 

Frantz  meanwhile  gained  ground,  and  in  a  few  seconds, 
thanks  to  his  gigantic  strides,  was  beyond  pursuit.  A 
cry  of  joy  and  admiration  burst  forth  from  the  spectators 
when  they  saw  him  climbing  up  the  embankment,  carry- 
ing in  his  arms  these  two  bodies,  men  or  corpses,  as  a 
nurse  would  have  borne  two  infants. 

He  laid  down  his  burden  at  the  admiral's  feet.  "  There 
is  your  man,"  he  said ;  "  he  is  not  quite  dead." 

"  And  the  other  1 "  demanded  Coligny,  pointing  to  the 
second  wounded  man. 

"  Oh,  that  one,"  said  Frantz,  —  "he  is  of  no  conse- 
quence ;  that  is  Malemort.  He  will  soon  be  all  right ! 
He  is  the  devil,  he  can't  be  killed."  And  he  began  to 
laugh  in  a  way  that  was  peculiar  to  the  uncle  and 
nephew  ;  it  might  be  called  the  Scharfenstein  laugh. 

At  this  moment,  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  lookers 
on,  the  three  other  adventurers,  cavalry  and  infantry,  re- 
entered  the  city. 

It  was  true,  as  Frantz  Scharfenstein  had  said,  that 
Theligny  was  not  dead,  although  he  had  received  seven 
sword-thrusts  and  three  balls  ;  these  wounds  were  almost 
exposed  to  view,  for  the  Spaniards  had  stripped  from  him 
everything  but  his  shirt,  and  left  him  on  the  place  where 
he  fell,  convinced  that  he  would  not  revive. 

He  was  carried  to  Monsieur  de  Jarnac's  house,  and 
placed  on  the  same  bed  where  the  admiral  an  hour  before 
had  been  unable  to  sleep,  disturbed  by  the  presentiment 
of  the  coming  event.  Then,  as  if  he  had  waited  for 
this  moment,  the  wounded  man  opened  his  eyes,  looked 
around  him,  and  recognized  the  admiral. 

"  A  doctor !  a  doctor  !  "  cried  Coligny  eagerly,  the  hope 
which  he  had  utterly  lost  reviving. 
VOL.  i.  — 23 


354  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

But  Theligny,  reaching  out  his  hand,  said,  "Thanks, 
Monsieur  1'Amiral.  God  permits  me  to  see  and  speak 
again,  that  I  may  be  able  humbly  to  ask  your  pardon  for 
having  disobeyed  you." 

The  admiral  stopped  him.  "Ah,  my  dear  Monsieur 
Theligny,"  he  said,  "  it  is  not  of  me  that  you  should  ask 
pardon,  for  if  you  disobeyed  me,  it  was  from  excess  of  zeal 
in  the  king's  service  ;  but  if  you  are  as  near  death  as  you 
think,  and  you  have  anything  to  ask,  ask  it  of  God." 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,"  said  Theligny,  "  fortunately  I  have  to 
ask  God  to  pardon  only  those  faults  which  it  is  permitted 
a  good  gentleman  to  confess,  while  in  disobeying  you  I 
have  committed  against  discipline  a  grave  offence.  Par- 
don me,  therefore,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  that  I  may  die  in 
peace." 

Monsieur  de  Coligny,  who  appreciated  so  well  all  true 
courage,  felt  the  tears  welling  up  into  his- eyes  as  he  lis- 
tened to  this  young  officer,  whose  only  regret  on  leaving  a 
life  so  full  of  promise  was  his  neglect  to  obey  his  general's 
orders. 

"  Since  you  really  wish  it,"  he  said,  "  I  pardon  you  a 
fault  of  which  a  brave  soldier  should  be  proud  ;  and  if  this 
is  all  that  troubles  you  in  your  last  moments,  yon  may 
die  in  peace,  as  did  Chevalier  Bayard,  the  model  for  us 
all."  And  he  stooped  to  press  his  lips  upon  the  pale 
brow  of  the  dying  man. 

The  latter  made  an  effort  and  raised  himself  up.  The 
admiral's  lips  touched  the  young  officer's  brow,  who  mur- 
mured this  single  word,  "  Thanks,"  and  fell  back  with  a 
sigh.  It  was  the  last. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Coliguy,  wiping  away  a  tear  and  ad- 
dressing those  who  were  standing  around  him,  "  there  is 
one  brave  gentleman  less  in  the  world.  God  grant  us  all 
such  a  death  !  " 


A  MESSAGE  TO  THE  CONSTABLE.       355 


CHAPTER  XL 

A    MESSAGE   TO   THE   CONSTABLE. 

HOWEVER  brilliant  had  been  tbe  action  in  these  two  re- 
pulses which  the  admiral  had  met,  they  were  no  less 
defeats,  and  showed  the  admiral  the  need  of  prompt 
assistance,  surrounded  as  they  were  by  a  numerous  and 
vigilant  army.  He  therefore  resolved  to  send,  before  the 
English  army  should  arrive  and  hem  them  in,  messengers 
to  his  uncle  the  constable,  to  ask  for  as  large  a  reinforce- 
ment as  possible.  With  this  intent  he  sent  for  Maldent 
and  Yvonnet,  who  had  been,  one  the  guide  of  the  poor 
Theligny,  and  the  other  his  own. 

The  constable  should  be  either  at  Ham  or  La  Fere  5 
one  of  these  two  messengers  therefore  must  go  to  Ham, 
the  other  to  La  Fere,  to  carry  the  news,  and  inform  the 
constable  of  the  best  course  by  which  assistance  could 
be  brought  to  St.  Quentin.  This  course,  which  the  ab- 
sence of  the  English  army  rendered  feasible,  consisted  in 
sending  a  strong  column  through  the  Savy  road,  which 
led  to  the  Faubourg  de  Ponthoille,  while  at  the  same 
moment  that  it  arrived  in  sight  of  the  city,  Coligny 
from  the  opposite  direction  should  feign  a  sally,  which, 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  hostile  army  to  the  pre- 
tended point  of  attack,  would  permit  the  French  army  to 
reach  the  city  safely. 

The  two  messengers  departed  the  same  night,  each  the 
bearer  of  an  urgent  request,  —  one  on  the  part  of  poor 
Malemort,  aud  the  other  on  the  part  of  the  desolate  Gudule. 


356  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Malemort,  who  had  received  a  sword-thrust  in  his  side 
which  fortunately  had  cut  into  an  old  wound,  —  a  thing 
which  almost  always  happened,  to  be  sure,  he  was  so  cut 
up,  —  Malemort  commissioned  Maldent  to  bring  him  cer- 
tain herbs  which  were  necessary  to  renew  that  famous 
balm  of  Ferragus  of  which  he  used  so  much. 

Gudule,  who  had  received  in  her  heart  a  wound  more 
grievous  and  more  dangerous  than  that  of  Malemort,  begged 
Yvonnet  to  watch  with  the  greatest  care  over  a  life  to 
which  her  own  was  bound.  While  waiting  for  her  dear 
Yvonnet,  she  would  pass  all  her  nights  at  her  window, 
which  overlooked  the  rampart  of  the  Vieux-Marche'. 

Our  two  adventurers  went  out  by  the  Ponthoille  Gate  ; 
then,  about  a  half-league  away  on  the  road  to  Ham, 
Yvonnet  crossed  the  plain  to  reach  the  road  to  La  Fere, 
while  Maldent  continued  on  the  road  to  Ham. 

Yvonnet  crossed  the  Somme  between  Gauchy  and 
Gruois,  and  regained  at  Cerisy  the  road  to  La  Fere. 

We  will  follow  Yvonnet  rather  than  Maldent,  since  it 
was  at  La  Fere  that  the  constable  was  found. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  Yvonnet  knocked  at 
the  gate  of  the  city,  which  the  guard  at  first  obstinately 
refused  to  open  ;  but  when  he  learned  that  the  nocturnal 
visitor  had  come  from  St.  Quentin,  he  half  opened  it  to 
let  him  pass. 

The  order  had  been  given  by  the  constable  to  admit 
without  delay  any  messenger  coming  from  his  nephew, 
and  bring  the  messenger  to  him,  whatever  the  hour 
might  be. 

At  half-past  three  in  the  morning  the  constable  was 
awakened.  The  old  soldier  was  lying  in  a  bed,  —  a  luxury 
he  rarely  allowed  himself  in  time  of  war ;  but  he  had  his 
constable's  sword  under  the  pillow,  and  upon  a  chair  near 
the  bed,  his  armor  and  helmet ;  at  the  slightest  alarm  he 


A  MESSAGE  TO  THE  CONSTABLE.       357 

would  be  ready  to  attack  or  defend  himself.  Those  who 
served  under  him  also  were  accustomed  to  be  called  at  any 
hour  of  the  day  or  night,  either  to  give  counsel  or  to  re- 
ceive orders. 

Yvonnet  was  conducted  to  the  chamber  of  the  indefati- 
gable old  man,  who,  knowing  that  a  messenger  had  arrived, 
was  awaiting  this  messenger,  raised  on  his  elbow. 

Scarcely  had  he  heard  Yvonnet's  step  when  with  his  usual 
brutality  he  said,  "  Well,  fellow,  come  here." 

It  was  no  time  to  stand  on  dignity ;  Yvounet  advanced. 

"  Nearer,"  said  the  constable,  "  nearer,  that  I  may  look 
you  in  the  face,  rascal !  I  like  to  see  those  with  whom  I 
am  talking." 

Yvonnet  came  close  to  the  bed.  "  Here  I  am,  Mon- 
seigneur,"  he  said. 

"  Ah,  here  you  are,  —  very  good  ! " 

He  took  his  lamp  and  looked  at  the  adventurer  with  a 
movement  of  the  head  which  did  not  indicate  that  the 
result  of  inspection  was  favorable  to  the  messenger. 

"  I  have  seen  that  fellow  somewhere,"  said  the  constable 
to  himself.  Then  to  Yvonnet,  "  You  are  not  going  to  give 
me  the  trouble  of  trying  to  think  where  I  have  seen  you? 
Come,  tell  me  immediately  ;  you  must  remember." 

"  And  why  should  I  remember  better  than  you,  Mon- 
seigneur  ] "  said  Yvonnet,  unable  to  resist  the  desire  to 
address  in  his  turn  a  question  to  the  constable. 

"  Because,"  replied  the  old  soldier,  "  you  see  once  in 
your  life,  perhaps,  a  Constable  of  France,  while  I  see  every 
day  numbers  of  fellows  like  you." 

"  That  is  true,  Monseigneur,"  replied  Yvonnet.  "  Well, 
you  saw  me  at  court."  „ 

"  What !  "  said  the  constable,  "  at  court  t  Do  you  go 
to  court?" 

"  I  was  there  at  least  on  the  day  when  I  had  the  honor 


358  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

of  seeing  you,  Mousieur  le  Connetable,"  replied  Yvonnet 
with  the  most  exquisite  politeness. 

"  Hum  !  "  said  the  constable.  "  Yes,  I  remember  ;  you 
were  with  a  young  officer  who  had  been  sent  to  the  king 
by  my  nephew." 

"  With  Monsieur  de  Theliguy." 

"  Exactly,"  said  the  constable.  "  Is  all  going  well  at 
St.  Quentin  ? " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Monseigneur,  everything  is  going 
wrong." 

"  What !  everything  is  going  wrong  1  Be  careful  what 
you  tell  me,  fellow." 

"  I  will  tell  you  the  truth,  Monseigneur.  Day  before 
yesterday  in  a  sally  made  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle,  sixty  men 
were  disabled.  Yesterday,  in  trying  to  surprise  a  detach- 
ment of  Spaniards  who  had  taken  their  position  before 
the  Eemicourt  Gate,  we  lost  fifteen  cavaliers  of  the  dauphin's 
company,  and  their  lieutenant,  Monsieur  de  Theligny  —  " 

"  Theliguy  ! "  interrupted  the  constable,  who  believed 
himself  invulnerable,  having  survived  so  many  battles,  so 
many  combats,  so  many  skirmishes  ;  "  Theligny  let  him- 
self be  killed  ?  The  idiot !  Well « " 

"  Well,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  here  is  a  letter  from 
Monsieur  1'Amiral,  demanding  immediate  aid." 

"  You  ought  to  have  given  it  to  me  before,  you  rascal !  " 
said  the  constable,  snatching  the  letter  from  the  adven- 
turer's hands.  And  he  read  it,  as  usual,  stopping  occasion- 
ally to  give  orders. 

"  '  I  shall  hold  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  as  long  as  possible  — ' 

"And  he  will  do  well,  mordieu!  Send  me  Monsieur 
Dandelot. 

"  '  For  from  its  heights  a  battery  of  artillery  can  sweep  the 
whole  length  of  the  rampart  of  Eemicourt,  from  the  Tour  a 
1'Eau  to  the  Tour  Rouge  —  ' 


A  MESSAGE  TO  THE  CONSTABLE.  359 

"  Let  the  Mare'chal  de  Saint- Andre  be  called. 

" '  But  in  order  to  defend  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  and  other 
threatened  points,  I  need  a  reinforcement  of  at  least  two 
thousand  men,  having  in  fact  but  five  or  six  hundred  men 
under  my  command  — ' 

"  Corbleu  !  I  will  send  him  four  thousand  !  Let  them 
send  Monsieur  le  Due  d'Enghien  to  me.  What  right  have 
these  gentlemen  to  sleep  while  I  am  awake  ?  Monsieur 
le  Due  d'Enghien,  immediately !  Well,  what  else  does 
Monsieur  my  nephew  say  ] 

"  '  I  have  only  sixteen  pieces  of  cannon  ;  I  have  only  fifty 
or  sixty  arquebuses ;  lastly,  I  have  ammunition  sufficient  for 
only  fifteen  days,  and  provisions  for  only  three  weeks.' 

"  What !  can  all  this  be  true  1 "  cried  the  constable. 

"  It  is  the  exact  truth,  Monseigneur !  "  replied  Yvonnet, 
respectfully. 

"Indeed,  I  would  like  to  see  a  scoundrel  like  you  giv- 
ing the  lie  to  my  nephew.  Hum  !  "  And  the  constable 
glared  at  Yvonnet. 

Yvonnet  bowed,  and  retired  a  few  steps. 

"  Why  do  you  draw  back  1 "  asked  the  constable. 

"  Because  I  think  that  Monseigneur  has  nothing  more 
to  say  to  me." 

"  You  are  mistaken.     Come  here." 

Yvonnet  resumed  his  former  position. 

"  And  the  citizens,  how  do  they  behave  1 "  demanded 
the  constable. 

"  Wonderfully  well,  Monseigneur  !  " 

"  The  rascals  !  I  would  like  to  see  them  do  otherwise." 

"  Even  the  monks  have  taken  up  arms." 

"  Hypocrites  !     And  you  say  that  they  fight  ?  " 

"  Like  lions  !     As  to  the  women,  Monseigneur  —  " 

"  They  moan  and  weep  and  tremble  1  That  is  all  the 
hussies  can  do." 


360  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE 

"  On   the    contrary,  Monseigneur,  they  encourage  the 
combatants,  they  nurse  the  wounded,  they  bury  the  dead." 
"  The  jades !  " 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened,  and  a  gentleman  fully 
armed,  except  that  he  had  upon  his  head  a  velvet  cap, 
appeared  upon  the  threshold. 

"Ah,  come  here,  Monsieur  Dandelot,"  said  the  con- 
stable ;  "  here  is  your  brother  raising  an  outcry  in  his 
city  of  St.  Quentin,  because  he  thinks  he  is  going  to  be 
murdered." 

"Monseigneur,"  replied  Monsieur  Dandelot,  laughing, 
"  if  my  brother  your  nephew  raises  an  outcry,  you  know  I 
presume  that  it  is  not  through  fear." 

"  Yes,  morbleu  !  I  know  that  there  is  reason  for  it,  and 
that  is  what  troubles  me.  Therefore  I  have  sent  for  you 
and  Monsieur  le  Marechal  de  Saint-Andre  —  " 

"  Here  I  am,  Monseigneur,"  interrupted  the  marshal,  at 
the  same  time  entering  the  room. 

"  Good,  Marechal !  And  Monsieur  d'Enghien  has  not 
yet  come ! " 

"  Pardon,  Monseigneur,"  said  the  duke,  as  he  also  en- 
tered the  chamber,  "  here  I  am." 

"  Tripes  et  boycutx,  gentlemen  ! "  said  the  constable, 
launching  his  great  oath  with  all  the  more  violence  since, 
as  every  one  had  done  his  duty,  he  did  not  know  on  whom 
to  vent  that  bad  temper  which  formed  the  basis  of  his 
character.  "  Tripes  et  boyaux,  gentlemen !  we  are  not  at 
Capua,  that  we  can  sleep  so  soundly  as  you  seem  to  have 
slept!" 

"  That  cannot  be  meant  for  me,"  said  the  marshal,  "  for 
I  had  already  risen." 

"  And  I,"  said  the  Due  d'Enghien,  "  had  not  gone  to 
bed." 

"  No ;  I  mean  it  for  Monsieur  Dandelot." 


A  MESSAGE  TO  THE  CONSTABLE.       361 

"  Me !  "  said  Daudelot.  "  Monseigneur  will  pardon  me, 
but  I  was  011  patrol  duty ,  and  if  I  arrived  here  before 
these  gentlemen,  it  was  because  I  was  already  mounted  and 
hastened  hither  on  horseback." 

"  Then  it  was  meant  for  myself,"  said  Montmorency. 
"  I  appear  to  be  old  and  good  for  nothing,  since  I  was  the 
only  one  who  had  gone  to  bed  —  Tete  et  sang  !  " 

"  But,  Constable,"  said  Dandelot,  laughing,  "  who  the 
devil  says  that  1 " 

"  No  one,  I  hope ;  for  if  any  one  should  say  that,  I  would 
break  his  jawbone,  as  I  did  that  of  the  prophet  of  evil 
omen  whom  I  met  the  other  day  upon  the  road.  But  I 
sent  for  you  for  something  else.  The  question  is  how  to 
carry  aid  to  this  poor  devil  of  a  Coligny,  who  has  fifty 
thousand  men  against  him.  Fifty  thousand  men  !  —  what 
do  you  say  to  that  1  It  is  my  opinion  that  my  nephew  is 
frightened  and  sees  double." 

The  three  officers  smiled  at  the  same  time  and  with  the 
same  expression. 

"  If  my  brother  says  fifty  thousand  men,"  replied  Dan- 
delot, "  it  is  fifty  thousand  men,  Monseigneur." 

"  And  sixty  thousand  rather  than  fifty  thousand,"  said 
the  Marechal  de  Saint- Andre*. 

"  And  you,  Monsieur  d'Enghien,  what  do  you  think]" 

"Why,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,  I  agree  with  these 
gentlemen." 

"  Then  you,  as  usual,  differ  from  me  ? " 

"  No,  Monsieur  le  Connetable,"  replied  Dandelot ;  *'  but 
we  think  that  the  admiral  tells  the  truth." 

"  Well,  are  you  ready  to  risk  anything  to  help  the 
admiral  1 " 

"  I  am  ready  to  risk  my  life,"  replied  Dandelot. 

"  And  we  also,"  said  at  once  the  Marechal  de  Saint- 
Andre  and  the  Due  d'Enghien. 


362  '     THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"  Then  all  is  well !  "  said  the  constable 

Then  looking  round  in  the  direction  of  fhe  antechamber 
where  a  great  noise  could  be  heard,  "  Corbleu  !  "  he  said, 
"  what  is  all  this  hubbub  ?" 

"  Monseigneur,"  said  one  of  the  officers  of  the  guard, 
"  a  man  has  just  been  arrested  at  the  Ham  Gate." 

"  Let  him  be  taken  to  prison." 

"  We  think  he  is  a  soldier  disguised  as  a  peasant." 

"  Let  him  be  hanged  !  " 

"  But  he  claims  to  be  a  messenger  from  the  admiral." 

"  Has  he  a  letter  of  safe-conduct  1 " 

"  No ;  and  that  is  our  reason  for  thinking  him  a  spy." 

"  Let  him  be  put  to  the  rack  !  " 

"  One  moment ! "  cried  a  voice  in  the  antechamber. 
"  Men  must  n't  be  treated  like  that,  even  by  Monsieur  le 
Connetable."  And  after  the  sound  of  a  noisy  struggle,  a 
man  precipitated  himself  into  the  chamber.. 

"Ah,  take  care  what  you  do,  Monseigneur;  it  is 
Maldent ! " 

"  And  who  is  Maldent  ? "  demanded  the  constable. 

"  He  is  the  second  messenger  sent  you  by  the  admiral, 
and  who  having  left  St.  Quentin  at  the  same  time  as  my- 
self, naturally  arrives  two  hours  later  because  he  first  went 
to  Ham." 

It  was  indeed  Maldent,  who,  not  having  found  the  con- 
stable at  Ham,  had  taken  a  horse  and  ridden  with  all 
speed  from  Ham  to  La  Fere,  for  fear  that  something  might 
have  happened  to  Yvonnet  on  the  way. 

Now,  how  was  it  that  Maldent,  who  had  set  out  in 
military  costume  and  with  a  letter  from  the  admiral,  ar- 
rived dressed  as  a  peasant  and  without  a  letter  1  This, 
with  their  usual  perspicacity,  our  readers  will  divine  in 
one  of  the  following  chapters. 


THE  ASSAULT.       *  363 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE    ASSAULT. 

OUR  readers  must  not  be  surprised  if  we  follow,  with  a 
precision  that  belongs  rather  to  the  historian  than  to  the 
novelist,  all  the  details  —  of  attack  and  defence  —  of  that 
glorious  siege  of  St.  Quentiu ;  a  siege  equally  glorious  for 
the  assailants  and  for  the  defenders.  In  our  opinion  the 
grandeur  of  a  nation  consists  as  much  in  its  defeats  as  in 
its  victories  ;  the  glory  of  its  triumphs  is  enhanced  by  that 
of  its  reverses. 

What  people,  indeed,  would  not  have  succumbed  after 
Cr^cy,  after  Poitiers,  after  Agincourt,  after  St.  Quentin,  at 
Waterloo  ?  But  the  hand  of  God  was  over  France,  and 
after  each  defeat  France  rose  again  grander  than  before. 

It  was  only  after  falling  seven  times  under  the  weight 
of  the  cross  that  Jesus  saved  the  world.  France,  under 
this  analogy,  if  it  be  permitted  us,  may  be  no  other  than 
the  Christ  among  the  nations.  And  St.  Quentin  was  one 
of  the  stations  of  France  bearing  the  cross.  The  cross  was 
the  monarchy. 

Fortunately,  behind  the  monarchy  was  the  people  ;  and 
now  at  last  behind  a  fallen  monarchy  we  are  about  to  see 
a  people  standing  upright. 

During  the  night  after  the  departure  of  Yvonnet  and 
Maldent  the  admiral  was  notified  that  the  sentinels  guard- 
ing the  Faubourg  d'Isle  thought  they  heard  noises  that 
indicated  mining  operations.  Coligny  rose  and  hastened 
to  the  place  that  seemed  to  be  threatened. 


364  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

The  admiral  was  an  experienced  captain.  He  dis- 
mounted from  his  horse,  lay  down  on  the  rampart,  applied 
his  ear  to  the  ground,  .and  listened.  Then  rising,  "  It  is 
not  the  sound  of  mining,"  he  said ;  "  it  is  the  sound  of 
moving  cannon.  The  enemy  is  bringing  up  his  pieces  to 
form  a  battery." 

The  officers  looked  at  one  another ;  and  Jarnac,  coming 
forward,  said,  "  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  do  you  know  that, 
according  to  the  general  opinion,  this  place  is  not 
tenable?" 

The  admiral  smiled.  "It  is  my  opinion  also,  gentle- 
men," he  said  ;  "  and  yet  you  see  we  have  held  it  for  five 
days.  If  I  had  retired  when  you  urged  me  to  do  so,  the 
Faubourg  d'Isle  would  have  been  during  these  five  days 
in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards,  and  the  task  which  remains 
to  them  of  assaulting  the  city  would  have  been  achieved. " 
Now,  bear  this  in  mind,  gentlemen,  every-  day  that  we 
gain  is  as  important  to  us  as  are  the  last  gasps  of  her  fail- 
ing breath  to  the  deer  pursued  in  the  chase." 

"  Your  opinion,  then,  Monseigneur  1  —  " 

"  My  opinion  is  that  we  have  done  on  this  side  all  that 
it  was  possible  to  do,  and  that  we  must  apply  elsewhere 
our  strength,  our  devotion,  and  our  vigilance." 

The  officers  bowed,  in  sign  of  acquiescence, 

"  At  daybreak,"  continued  Coligny,  "  the  Spanish  guns 
will  be  in  position,  and  the  cannonade  will  begin.  By 
daybreak,  therefore,  all  the  artillery  we  have  at  this  point, 
the  munitions,  the  balls  of  wool,  the  wheelbarrows,  the 
litters,  the  pikes,  the  tools  of  all  kinds,  must  be  carried 
into  the  city.  A  portion  of  our  men  will  be  engaged  in 
that  task  ;  another  portion  will  pile  up  fagots  in  the  houses, 
and  the  fascines  which  I  have  had  prepared,  and  will 
set  fire  to  them.  I  will  myself  superintend  the  retreat, 
and  will  see  that  the  bridges  are  destroyed  behind  us." 


THE  ASSAULT.  365 

Then,  as  he  saw  around  him  the  poor  unfortunates  to 
whom  those  houses  belonged,  and  who  listened  to  these 
orders  with  an  appearance  of  sorrow,  "  My  friends,"  said 
he,  "  your  houses,  spared  by  us,  would  be  destroyed  by 
the  Spaniards,  who  would  use  their  material  against  us ; 
make  the  sacrifice  yourselves  to  your  king  and  your 
country;  I  give  you  the  task  of  applying  the  torch." 

The  residents  in  the  Faubourg  d'Isle  looked  at  one 
another,  exchanged  a  few  words  in  a  low  tone ;  and  one 
of  them  coming  forward,  said,  — 

"  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  I  am  Guillaume  Pauquet ;  you 
can  see  my  house  from  here,  —  it  is  the  largest  in  the 
quarter.  I  assume  the  task  of  setting  fire  to  my  house  ; 
and  my  neighbors  and  friends  here  will  do  the  same  by 
theirs." 

"  Is  that  true,  my  children  1 "  asked  the  admiral,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes. 

u  Is  it  for  the  good  of  the  king  and  of  the  nation  that 
you  require  it,  Monsieur  1'Amiral  1 " 

"  Only  hold  out  with  me  fifteen  days,  my  friends,  and 
we  shall  save  France,"  said  Coligny. 

"  And  that  you  may  hold  out  ten  days  longer  it  is 
necessary  that  we  burn  our  houses  1 " 

"  I  think,  my  friends,  that  it  is  necessary." 

"  Then,  if  we  burn  our  houses  you  are  sure  to  hold 
out?" 

"  I  am  sure,  my  friends,  to  do  all  that  a  gentleman  de- 
voted to  the  king  and  to  the  country  is  able  to  do,"  said 
the  admiral.  "  If  any  one  talks  of  surrendering  the  city, 
I  will  throw  him  from  the  top  of  the  wall ;  if  I  talk  of 
surrendering,  let  me  be  served  in  the  same  way." 

"Very  well,  Monsieur  1'Amiral,  whenever  you  give 
the  order  for  burning  the  houses  the  torch  will  be 
applied." 


366  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

"But,"  said  a  voice,  "I  sincerely  hope  that  the  abbey 
of  St.  Quentin  will  be  spared." 

The  admiral  turned  toward  the  speaker  and  recognized 
Lactance.  "  St.  Quentin  least  of  all,"  he  said.  "  The 
platform  of  St.  Quentin  overlooks  the  rampart  of  Remi- 
court,  and  a  battery  placed  on  that  platform  would  render 
the  defence  of  the  rampart  impossible." 

Lactance  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  uttered  a  deep 
sigh. 

"  Besides,"  continued  the  admiral,  smiling,  "  St.  Quen- 
tin is,  above  all  things,  the  protector  of  the  city,  and 
he  will  not  take  it  ill  of  us  if  we  prevent  his  abbey  being 
made  use  of  to  ruin  those  whom  he  protects." 

Then,  taking  advantage  of  the  devotedness  inspiring  in 
every  mind  the  same  zeal,  the  admiral  gave  orders  that 
they  should  begin  drawing  the  cannon  toAvard  the  city, 
and  should  transport  in  carts  the  several  objects  which  he 
indicated,  —  everything  to  be  done  in  the  greatest  possible 
silence. 

The  citizens  applied  themselves  to  their  appointed  tasks, 
and  it  must  be  said  that  those  who  carried  fascines  into 
the  houses  displayed  as  much  zeal  as  those  who  harnessed 
themselves  to  cannon  and  carts  to  draw  them  to  the  city. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  everything  had  been 
brought  in,  and  there  remained  behind  the  old  wall  only 
a  sufficient  number  of  arquebusiers  to  make  a  show  of  de- 
fence, and  those  who,  torch  in  hand,  held  themselves  in 
readiness  to  set  fire  to  the  houses. 

At  daybreak,  as  the  admiral  had  foreseen,  the  Spaniards 
fired  their  first  volley.  A  breaching  battery  had  been 
planted  during  the  night,  and  it  was  in  fact  the  noise 
made  in  that  undertaking  which  the  admiral  had  heard. 

That  first  volley  was  the  signal  agreed  upon  for  setting 
fire  to  the  faubourg.  Not  one  of  the  inhabitants  hesi- 


THE  ASSAULT.  367 

tated  ;  each  heroically  applied  his  torch  to  the  fascines, 
and  immediately  a  curtain  of  smoke  ascended  toward  the 
sky,  soon  to  give  place  to  a  curtain  of  flame. 

The  faubourg  was  on  fire  from  the  church  of  St.  Eloi 
to  that  of  St.  Pierre-au-Canal ;  but  in  the  midst  of 
that  vast  furnace,  as  if  a  superhuman  power  warded  off 
the  flame,  the  abbey  of  St.  Quentin  'remained  un- 
harmed. Three  times  through  the  fire  and  crossing  by 
flying  bridges,  the  others  having  been  cut  away,  the 
citizens  first,  then  the  soldiers,  and  finally  the  firemen, 
went  to  renew  the  attempt ;  and  three  times  the  attempt 
was  unsuccessful. 

The  admiral,  from  the  summit  of  the  Porte  d'Isle,  was 
following  the  progress  of  destruction  when  Jean  Pauquet, 
leaving  a  group  of  fellow-citizens,  drew  near  to  the  admiral, 
hat  in  hand,  and  said,  — 

"  Monseigneur,  there  is  an  old  man  in  the  city  who  says 
he  has  heard  his  father  say  that  there  is  a  deposit  of  powder 
in  one  or  the  other  of  the  two  towers  on  either  side  the 
Porte  d'Isle,  and  perhaps  in  both." 

"  Good  !  "  said  the  admiral ;  "  we  must  find  out  about 
that ;  where  are  the  keys  ?  " 

«'  Ah,  the  keys,"  said  Jean  Pauquet ;  "  who  knows 
where  they  are  ?  It  is  perhaps  a  hundred  years  since  the 
doors  were  opened." 

"  Very  well ;  bring  levers  and  crowbars  to  open  them." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  levers  and  crowbars,"  said  a  voice, 
with  a  strong  German  accent;  "let  me  push  the  door, 
and  the  door  will  open." 

It  was  Heinrich  Scharfenstein,  who,  followed  by  his 
nephew  Frantz,  approached  Coligny. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,  my  brave  giant1? "  said  the  admiral. 

"  Yes,  I  and  my  nephew  Frantz." 

"  Well,  push,  my  friend,  push  1 " 


368  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

Each  of  the  two  Scharfensteins  went  to  a  door,  ap- 
plied his  back  to  it,  and  acting  like  a  double  mechanism 
obedient  each  to  the  same  impulse,  having  braced  them- 
selves they  counted,  "  One,  two,  three,"  and  at  the  word 
"  three,"  each  made  a  supreme  effort  against  the  fold  of  the 
door  which  he  had  attacked,  and  so  victoriously  that  both 
men  fell  at  the  same  time  with  the  doors.  Only,  since 
the  doors  offered  different  degrees  of  resistance,  Frantz 
Scharfenstein  fell  at  full  length,  while  Heinrich,  more 
favored,  simply  sat  down. 

Both,  however,  rose  with  their  customary  coolness,  say- 
ing, "  Done  ! " 

An  entrance  was  made  into  the  towers.  One  of  them, 
as  Jean  Pauquet  had  said,  contained  two  or  three  thousand 
pounds  of  powder  ;  but,  as  he  had  also  said,  that  powder 
had  been  there  through  so  long  a  period  that  when  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  lift  the  casks  they  fell  to  .pieces.  Then 
the  admiral  ordered  that  cloths  should  be  brought,  in 
which  the  powder  might  be  conveyed  to  the  arsenal. 

After  seeing  that  this  last  order  was  in  the  way  of  ful- 
filment, the  admiral  returned  to  his  lodgings  to  take  break- 
fast and  to  snatch  if  possible  a  little  rest ;  for  he  had  been 
on  his  feet  since  midnight,  and  had  eaten  nothing  since 
the  evening  before.  He  had  just  sat  down  at  the  table 
when  word  was  brought  to  him  that  one  of  the  messengers 
whom  he  had  sent  to  the  constable  had  returned,  and 
wished  to  speak  with  him  without  delay. 

The  messenger  was  Yvonnet,  who  came  to  inform  the 
admiral  that  the  reinforcements  which  he  had  asked 
would  arrive  on  the  following  day,  commanded  by  his 
brother,  Monsieur  Dandelot,  the  Mare'chal  de  Saint- Andre", 
and  the  Due  d'Enghien. 

These  reinforcements  would  comprise  four  thousand 
infantry,  who,  following  the  directions  given  by  the  ad- 


THE  ASSAULT.  369 

miral,  would  approacli  by  the  Savy  road,  and  would  enter 
the  city  by  way  of  the  Faubourg  de  Ponthoille. 

Maldent  had  remained  at  La  Fere  to  serve  as  a  guide 
to  Monsieur  Dandelot. 

Yvonnet  had  reached  this  point  in  his  report,  and  taken 
up  a  glass  of  wine  in  which  to  drink  the  admiral's  health, 
when  simultaneously  the  earth  trembled,  the  walls  shook, 
the  window-glasses  were  shivered  in  fragments,  and  a 
noise  was  heard  as  of  a  hundred  pieces  of  cannon  thunder- 
ing at  once. 

The  admiral  arose ;  Yvonnet,  seized  with  a  nervous 
trembling,  replaced  his  glass  of  wine  untasted  upon  the 
table. 

At  the  same  time  a  cloud  passed  over  the  city  carried 
by  the  east  wind,  and  a  strong  odor  of  sulphur  filled  the 
apartment  through  the  broken  window-panes. 

"Oh,  the  rascals!"  said  the  admiral;  "they  have 
not  taken  necessary  precautions,  and  the  powder  has 
exploded." 

Immediately,  and  without  waiting  for  intelligence,  he 
went  out  of  the  house  and  hastened  to  the  Isle  Gate. 

The  whole  population  were  hurrying  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. The  admiral  could  obtain  no  information  ;  everybody 
was  rushing  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  but  was  igno. 
rant  of  its  cause. 

Coligny  was  not  mistaken  ;  he  saw  the  tower  in  ruins 
and  smoking  like  the  crater  of  a  volcano.  A  spark  from 
the  conflagration  which  surrounded  it  had  entered  one  of 
the  loopholes,  and  had  set  fire  to  the  terrific  combustible. 

Forty  or  fifty  persons  had  perished;  five  officers  who 
were  directing  the  operation  had  disappeared. 

The  tower  offered  to  the  enemy  a  breach  through  which 
twenty-five  men  could  climb  abreast. 

Fortunately,  the  fire  and  smoke  which  extended  from 
VOL.  i.  —  24 


370  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  faubourg  to  the  city,  concealed  this  breach  from  the 
Spaniards ;  in  this  way  the  devotion  of  the  inhabitants  in 
setting  fire  to  their  houses  had  saved  the  city. 

Coligny  comprehended  the  danger ;  he  called  upon  all 
to  assist  in  repairing  the  breach,  but  the  citizens  alone 
responded.  The  soldiers,  who  had  been  recalled  from  the 
faubourg,  had  gone  to  procure  food  and  rest. 

Among  those  who  had  gone  to  get  food  and  rest  were 
the  two  Scharfensteins ;  but  as  their  tent  was  only  about 
fifty  steps  from  the  scene  of  events,  they  were  among  the 
first  to  respond  to  the  admiral's  appeal. 

Heinrich  and  Frantz  were  important  auxiliaries  in  such 
a  case ;  their  herculean  strength  and  their  gigantic  stature 
rendered  them  invaluable.  They  took  off  their  doublets, 
rolled  up  their  sleeves,  and  made  masons  of  themselves. 

Three  hours  later,  whether  because  the  enemy  knew 
nothing  of  the  catastrophe  or  because  they  were  engaged 
in  preparations  for  some  othsr  attack,  the  repairs  had  been 
completed  without  any  hindrance,  and  the  tower  was  almost 
as  solid  as  before. 

All  this  day  —  the  7th  of  August  —  passed  without 
any  demonstration  from  the  enemy  j  they  seemed  to  be 
confining  themselves  simply  to  a  blockade.  Doubtless 
they  were  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  English  army. 

That  night  the  sentinels  observed  a  commotion  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  Faubourg  d'Isle.  The  Spaniards  of  Caron- 
delet  and  those  of  Julian  Romero,  taking  advantage  of  the 
decline  of  the  fire,  began  to  enter  the  faubourg  and  approach 
the  city.  All  surveillance,  therefore,  was  concentrated  in 
that  direction. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  admiral  called  together  at  his  house 
the  principal  officers  of  the  garrison  ;  he  announced  to 
them  that  in  all  probability  reinforcements  would  arrive 
that  night.  Therefore  it  was  necessary  to  man  secretly 


THE   ASSAULT.  371 

the  walls  from  Tourival  to  the  Ponthoille  Gate,  so  as  to 
be  ready  to  give  aid  if  necessary  to  Daudelot  and  his 
men. 

Yvonnet,  who  in  his  capacity  of  messenger  had  been 
informed  of  these  arrangements,  had  rejoiced  to  see  them 
adopted,  and  as  far  as  was  in  his  power — for  from  his 
very  precise  knowledge  of  localities  he  was  not  without  a 
certain  influence —  he  had  caused  the  night  watchmen  to 
be  put  forward  toward  the  Retuicourt  Gate,  the  Isle  Gate, 
and  the  Ponthoille  Gate. 

This  arrangement  indeed  left  entirely  uncovered,  except 
for  the  presence  of  a.  few  sentinels,  the  rampart  of  the 
Vieux-Marche,  where  was  situated,  as  will  be  remembered, 
Jean  Pauijuet's  house,  and  especially  the  little  pavilion 
occupied  by  Mademoiselle  Gudule. 

Therefore  about  eleven  o'clock  on  one  of  those  dark 
nights  so  valued  and  blessed  by  lovers  who  are  going  to 
see  their  mistresses,  and  by  soldiers  who  are  preparing  a 
surprise,  our  adventurer,  followed  by  Heinrich  and  Frantz, 
all  armed  to  the  teeth,  advanced  with  precaution  through 
the  streets  of  Les  Hosiers,  La  Fosse,  and  St.  Jean,  and 
regained,  about  a  hundred  steps  from  the  Dameuse  Tower, 
the  rampart  of  the  Vieux-Marche. 

The  three  adventurers  followed  this  path,  because  they 
were  aware  that  the  whole  space  extending  from  the 
Damense  Tower  to  the  gate  of  the  Vieux-Marche  was 
not  provided  with  sentinels,  the  enemy  having  made  no 
demonstration  on  that  side.  The  boulevard  was  therefore 
dark  and  deserted. 

Why  did  this  little  band,  which  in  spite  of  its  for- 
midable appearance  had  no  hostile  intention,  consist  of 
Heinrich  and  Frantz  on  one  side  and  Yvonnet  on  the 
other  ? 

Because  of  that  law  of  nature  by  which  in  this  world 


372  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

weakness  seeks  strength,  and  strength  attaches  itself  to 
weakness. 

With  whom  of  his  eight  companions  had  Yvonnet  formed 
the  most  intimate  friendship?  With  Heinrich  and  with 
Frantz.  Why  1  Because  they  were  the  strongest  and  he 
was  the  weakest. 

When  the  two  Scharfenstcins  had  a  moment's  lei- 
sure, in  whose  company  were  they  eager  to  spend  it  ? 
Yvonnet's. 

So  when  Yvonnet  had  need  of  any  assistance,  of  whom 
did  he  ask  it  1  Of  the  two  Scharfensteins. 

In  his  costume  always  neat,  always  smart,  always  ele- 
gant, contrasting  with  the  rude  and  soldierlike  costume 
of  the  two  giants,  Yvonnet  followed  by  them  appeared  like 
a  child  holding  in  leash  two  immense  hounds. 

It  was  on  account  of  this  attraction  of  weakness  toward 
strength  and  this  sympathy  of  strength  for  weakness  that 
on  this  evening  again  Yvonnet  had  asked  the  two  Schar- 
fensteins if  they  would  go  with  him,  and  that,  as  usual, 
they  had  immediately  risen  and  armed  themselves,  saying, 
"  Very  willingly,  Monsieur  Yvonnet." 

For  the  two  Scharfensteins  called  Yvonnet  "  Monsieur," 
—  a  distinction  they  accorded  no  other  of  their  com- 
panions. This  was  because  their  friendship  for  Yvonnet 
was  mingled  with  a  profound  respect.  Keither  the  uncle 
nor  the  nephew  ever  permitted  himself  to  address  the 
young  adventurer ;  no,  they  heard  him  talk  of  beautiful 
women,  splendid  weapons,  fine  clothes,  and  confined 
themselves  to  nodding  approval  and  occasionally  respond- 
ing to  his  sallies  of  wit  with  the  Scharfenstein  laugh. 

Where  Yvonnet  was  going  when  he  said  to  them, 
"  Come  with  me,"  did  not  concern  them  ;  he  had  said, 
"Come," — that  was  sufficient,  and  they  followed  him  as 
satellites  follow  a  planet.  That  evening  Yvonnet  was 


THE  ASSAULT.  373 

going  to  his  mistress ;  he  had  said  to  the  two  Scharfen- 
steins,  "  Come,"  and,  as  we  have  seen,  they  had  come. 

But  with  what  purpose,  since  the  rendezvous  was  to  be 
one  of  those  in  which  the  presence  of  a  third  person  is 
always  annoying,  had  Yvonnet  invited  the  attendance  of 
the  two  giants'? 

In  the  first  place,  we  hasten  to  say  that  the  brave  Ger- 
mans were  by  no  means  troublesome  spectators ;  they 
would  close  one  eye,  or  two,  or  three,  or  four,  upon  a 
word  or  a  sign  from  their  companion,  and  keep  them 
religiously  closed  until  a  word  or  a  sign  from  him  should 
permit  them  to  open  them  again. 

Yvonnet  had  brought  them  with  him  because,  as  may 
be  remembered,  to  reach  the  window  of  Gudule's  pavilion 
it  was  necessary  to  use  a  ladder ;  instead  of  bringing  a 
ladder,  he  had  thought  it  more  simple  to  bring  the 
Scharfensteins,  —  which  amounted  to  precisely  the  same 
thing. 

The  young  man  had,  as  may  easily  be  imagined,  a  col- 
lection of  signals,  noises,  cries,  by  which  he  announced  his 
presence  to  his  mistress ;  but  on  this  evening  there  was  no 
occasion  for  cry,  noise,  or  signal,  —  Gudule  was  waiting  at 
her  window. 

Nevertheless,  when  she  saw  three  men  coming  instead 
of  one,  she  prudently  withdrew. 

Then  Yvonnet  detached  himself  from  the  group  and 
was  recognized  ;  and  the  young  girl,  trembling  still,  but  no 
longer  afraid,  appeared  again  at  the  window. 

In  a  few  words  Yvonnet  explained  to  his  mistress  the 
danger  that  a  soldier  in  a  besieged  city  would  incur  by 
going  about  with  a  ladder  on  his  back  ;  the  patrol  might 
think  that  he  was  carrying  a  ladder  for  the  purpose  of 
communicating  with  the  enemy.  If  he  were  once  sus- 
pected by  the  patrol,  he  would  have  to  follow  the  chief  of 


374  THE  DUKE'S  PAGE. 

the  patrol  to  an  officer,  a  captain,  the  governor  perhaps, 
and  explain  the  purpose  of  the  ladder,  —  an  explanation 
which,  however  delicately  made,  would  compromise 
Mademoiselle's  honor.  It  was  better,  therefore,  to  rely 
upon  two  friends  in  whose  discretion  he  could  trust  as 
could  Yvonnet  in  that  of  his  two  companions. 

But  how  two  friends  could  take  the  place  of  a  ladder, 
Mademoiselle  Gudule  could  not  easily  understand ;  so 
Yvonnet  lost  no  time  in  unfolding  the  theory  and  giving 
a  practical  demonstration  of  it.  For  this  purpose  he- 
called  the  two  Scharfensteins,  who,  separating  the  immense 
pair  of  compasses  which  served  them  as  legs,  reached  him 
in  three  strides.  Then  he  set  the  uncle  up  back  to  the 
wall,  and  beckoned  to  the  nephew. 

In  less  time  than  is  required  to  describe  it  Frantz  placed 
one  foot  upon  his  uncle's  clasped  hands,  another  upon  his 
shoulder ;  then,  on  reaching  the  level  of  tire  window,  he 
took  Mademoiselle  Gndule  by  the  waist,  who  was  curiously 
watching,  and  who,  before  she  could  make  a  movement  of 
defence,  —  which,  however,  perhaps  she  would  not  have 
made  in  any  case,  —  found  herself  lifted  from  her 
chamber  and  deposited  on  the  boulevard  by  the  side  of 
Yvonnet. 

"There!"  said  Frantz,  laughing;  "  there  is  the  young 
girl  called  for." 

"Thanks,"  said  Yvonnet;  and  taking  Gudule's  arm 
under  his  own,  he  led  her  toward  the  most  obscure  place 
on  the  rampart.  That  place  was  the  circular  summit  of 
one  of  the  towers,  protected  by  a  parapet  three  feet 
high. 

The  two  Scharfensteins  went  apart  and  sat  on  a  sort  of 
stone  bench  placed  against  the  wall. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  record  here  the  conversation 
that  ensued  between  Yvonnet  and  Mademoiselle  Gudule. 


THE  ASSAULT.  375 

They  were  young,  and  they  were  in  love;  it  was  three 
days  and  three  nights  since  they  had  met,  and  they  had 
so  many  things  to  talk  about  that  this  chapter  certainly 
could  not  contain  all  that  they  said  to  each  other  in 
a  quarter  of  an  hour. 

We  say  "  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,"  for  at  the  end  of  that 
time  Yvonnet  broke  off  the  conversation,  placed  his  hand 
on  the  pretty  mouth  of  his  companion,  leaned  his  head 
forward,  and  listened.  As  he  listened,  he  thought  he  heard 
a  noise  like  that  of  the  rustling  of  grass  under  numerous 
feet.  He  looked,  and  thought  he  saw  something  like 
a  huge  black  serpent  crawling  at  the  foot  of  the 
wall. 

But  the  night  was  so  dark,  and  the  noise  so  slight,  that 
all  this  might  easily  be  an  illusion  instead  of  a  reality ; 
which  was  the  more  probable  since  both  movement  and 
noise  suddenly  ceased.  Yvonnet  looked  and  listened,  but 
could  neither  hear  nor  see  anything.  Nevertheless,  while 
still  holding  the  .young  girl  enfolded  in  his  arms,  he  con- 
tinued to  watch,  with  his  head  bent  forward.  In  a  short 
time  he  thought  he  saw  the  gigantic  serpent  lift  its  head 
against  the  gray  wall  and  climb  toward  the  parapet.  Then, 
like  a  many-headed  hydra,  the  serpent  threw  out  a  second 
head  near  the  first,  and  a  third  near  the  second. 

Yvonnet  understood  the  situation.  Without  loss  of  a 
moment  he  passed  Gudule,  urging  her  to  silence,  into  the 
hands  of  Frantz,  who  with  his  uncle's  help  immediately 
restored  her  to  her  chamber  by  the  same  process  by  which 
he  had  taken  her  from  it. 

Meanwhile  Yvonnet,  running  to  the  nearest  ladder,  ar- 
rived at  the  moment  when  the  first  Spaniard  placed  his 
foot  on  the  parapet.  There  was  a  flash  in  the  darkness, 
then  a  cry  ;  and  the  Spaniard,  pierced  through  by  Yvonnet's 
thin  blade,  fell  headlong  from  the  wall. 


376  THE  DUKF/S   PAGE. 

The  noise  of  his  fall  was  lost  in  that  arising  from  the 
second  ladder,  which  loaded  with  men,  and  pushed  by 
Heinrich's  vigorous  arms,  scraped  along  the  wall  with  a 
hoarse  groaning. 

Nor  had  Frantz  been  idle.  Finding  in  his  way  an 
abandoned  beam,  he  had  raised  it  above  his  head  and 
dropped  it,  crosswise,  on  the  third  ladder.  The  ladder 
had  broken  at  about  two  thirds  of  its  height ;  and 
beam,  ladder,  and  men  had  fallen  together  into  the 
ditch. 

Yvonnet,  still  striking  his  best  blows,  called  loudly  for 
help.  The  Scharfensteins  hastened  to  his  assistance,  and 
reached  him  at  a  moment  when  three  Spaniards,  who  had 
gained  a  footing  on  the  rampart,  were  pressing  him  closely. 
One  of  the  assailants  fell  cloven  in  two  by  Heinrich's  enor- 
mous sword  ;  another  rolled  over,  knocked  on  the  head 
by  Frantz's  sledge;  the  third,  in  the  act-  of  striking 
Yvonnet,  Avas  seized  by  the  belt  by  one  of  the  two  giants, 
and  sent  flying  from  the  wall. 

Just  then  Jean  and  Guillaume  Pauquet,  bearing  torches 
and  axes,  appeared  at  the  end  of  the  Rue  Vieux-Marche, 
drawn  thither  by  the  cries  of  the  three  adventurers. 

The  failure  of  the  surprise  was  from  that  moment  com- 
plete ;  and  when  the  citizens  and  the  adventurers  joined 
their  outcries  a  double  reinforcement  arrived,  —  from  the 
Tour  St.  Jean,  and  from  the  big  tower  in  the  Faubourg 
de  Ponthoille. 

And  then  —  as  if  all  these  attacks  had  been  prearranged 
to  be  made  at  the  same  time  —  the  detonation  of  a  thou- 
sand arquebuses  could  be  heard,  at  a  distance  of  about 
half  a  league,  in  the  direction  of  Savy,  beyond  the  chapel 
of  Fjpargnemaille ;  and  between  earth  and  sky  could 
be  seen  that  reddish  smoke  which  hovers  over  the  place 
where  there  are  heavy  discharges  of  musketry. 


THE  ASSAULT.  377 

The  two  enterprises  —  that  of  the  Spaniards  to  surprise 
the  city  and  that  of  Dandelot  to  succor  it  —  had  been  dis- 
covered. We  have  seen  how  chance  defeated  that  of  the 
Spaniards ;  we  will  show  how  chance  also  defeated  that  of 
the  French. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


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